HISTORY:' 


OF  THE 


lOLLEGE 


OF  Pm'SICIANS  AND  SURGEONS 


V<Wrtfccr 


11*3  J 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2010  with  funding  from 

Open  Knowledge  Commons 


http://www.archive.org/details/historyofcollege02dalt 


HISTORY 


OF   THE 


College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons 

IN   THE   CITY  OF   NEW   YORK; 

flDebical  Department  ot  Columbia  College. 


BY 


JOHN    C.  DALTON,  M.D., 

PRESIDENT,    AND    PROFESSOR    EMERITUS    OF    PHYSIOLOGY. 


Published  by  order  of   the  College 

NEW   YORK 

1888 


TRUSTEES  //3^ 

OF    THE  d  /  ^ 

College    of    Physicians    and    Surgeons, 
1888. 

HON.    FREDERICK  A.    CONKLING 

JOHN   J.    CRANE,   M.D. 

ELLSWORTH    ELIOT,    M.D, 

ROBERT   G.    REMSEN,   ESQ. 

REV.    F.    A.    P.    BARNARD,    LL.D. 

SAMUEL   T.    HUBBARD,    M.D. 

THOMAS   F.    COCK,    M.D. 

WILLIAM    W.    HOPPIN,    JR.,    ESQ. 

GEORGE   A.    PETERS,   M.D. 

HON.    GILBERT   M.    SPEIR 

HON.    EDWARD    MITCHELL  ' 

WILLARD    PARKER,    M.D. 

WILLIAM    H.    DRAPER,    M.D. 

JOHN    C.    DALTON,    M.D.,    President 

JAMES   T.    SWIFT,    ESQ. 

THOMAS    M.    MARKOE,    M.D.,    Vice-President 

CORNELIUS    VANDERBILT,    ESQ. 

GEORGE    G.    WHEELOCK,    M.D.,   Registrar 

JAMES   A.    ROOSEVELT,   ESQ. 

GEORGE   BLISS,    ESQ.,    Treasurer 

JOSEPH    H.    CHOATE,    ESQ. 

MORRIS   K.    JESUP,    ESQ. 

RT.    REV.    HENRY    C.    POTTER,    S.T.D.,    Chaplain 

A.    BRAYTON    BALL,   M.D. 


TABLE   OF   CONTENTS. 

,  CHAPTER    I. 

Foundation  and  Early  Years  of  the  College, 
1807 — 1811. 
Introduction — Origin  of  the  College — ^Charter  of  1807 — 
Amendment  of  1808 — The  faculty  in  1807 — Opening  of  the  first 
session — The  college  building  in  Robinson  street — New  York 
City  in  1807 — The  faculty  in  1808 — Methods  of  instruction — 
Removal  to  Magazine  street — Dr.  Romayne — Dr.  Mitchill — Dr. 
Miller — Dr.  Bruce — Dr.  DeWitt — Dr.  Macneven — First  grad- 
uating exercises  of  the  College     .  ' Pages   7 — 28. 

CHAPTER    n. 

The  College  in  Barclay  Street. 
1811— 1826. 
Charter  of  181 1 — Charter  of  1812 — Accession  of  professors 
from  Columbia  College — The  faculty  in  1814 — Removal  to 
Barclay  street — The  college  building  in  Barclay  street — Its  en- 
largement— The  Elgin  Botanic  Garden — Dr.  Bard — Dr.  Ho- 
sack  —  Dr.  Mott  —  Dr.  Francis — Dr.  Post — Disputes  with  the 
County  Medical  Society — Change  in  the  Board  of  Trustees — 
Disputes  between  the  professors  and  the  trustees — Investiga- 
tion by  the  Regents — Further  change  in  the  Board  of  Trustees 
— Resignation  of  the  faculty — Appointment  of  new  professors 
by  the  Regents Pages  29 — 54. 

CHAPTER    III. 

Reorganization  of  the  College. 
1826 — 1837. 

The  faculty  in  1826 — Dr.  John  Watts — Dr.  John  Augustine 
Smith — Dr.  Dana — Dr.  Stevens — Dr.  Delafield— Dr.  Joseph  M. 
Smith — Dr.  Beck — Financial  embarrassments  of  the  College — 
Perseverance  against  difficulties — Members  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees — Dr.  John  Kearny  Rodgers — Dr.  Jaques — Dr.  Flam- 
ersley — Dr.  Johnston — Dr.  Borrowe  —  Dr.  Cheesman  —  Mr. 
Hamilton— Mr.  King— Mr.  Bruen— Mr.  Campbell— Mr.  Allen 
— Mr.  Troup — Mr.  Boyd  —  Death  of  Dr.  Dana — Appointment 
of  Dr.,Torrey — Reappointment  of  Dr.  Mott — Removal  to  Cros- 
by street Pages  55 — 67 


2  TABLE    OF  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    IV. 

The  College  in  Crosby  Street. 
1837— 1856. 
Resignation  of  Dr.  Stevens — Appointment  of  Dr.  Parker 
— Dr.  Watts — Dr.  Gilman — Dr.  John  Augustine  Smith — The 
faculty  in  1843 — Improvements  in  the  College — Spring  and 
Fall  lectures — Lengthening  of  the  college  term — Establishment 
of  college  clinics — Bellevue  Hospital  —  Legalization  of  prac- 
tical anatomy — The  Pathological  Society — The  Academy  of 
Medicine Pages  d'^ — 85. 

CHAPTER    V. 

Changes  in  the  Faculty, 
1851— 1858. 
Dr.  Beck — Dr.  Bartlett — Chair  of  Physiology  and  Pathol- 
ogy— Dr.  Clark — Chair  of  Materia  Medica  and  Clinical  Med- 
icine— Of  Pathology  and  Practical  Medicine — Of  Physiology 
and  Microscopic  Anatomy — Dr.  Dalton — Dr.  St.  John  —  Dr. 
Stevens — His  resignation  as  president — Appointment  of  Dr. 
Cock— Of  Dr.  Delafield Pages  86—97. 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Removal  to  Twenty-third  Street. 
1856— 1860. 

Project  of  removal  from  Crosby  street — Purchase  of  land 
in  Twenty-third  street — Erection  of  the  new  building — Its  in- 
auguration— The  faculty  in  1858 — -Release  of  the  College 
from  the  authority  of  the  Regents — Union  with  Columbia 
College Pages  98 — 107. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

The  College  in  Twenty-third  Street. 
1856— 1887. 
Establishment  of  the  Alumni  Association  —  The  Alumni 
prize — The  Cartwright  prize — The  Cartwright  lectures — Lab- 
oratory of  the  Alumni  Association — The  endowment  fund — 
The  laboratory  fund  —  Prizes  for  undergraduates — Harsen 
prizes  for  clinical  reports — Injurious  effect  of  special  prizes 
for  undergraduates — Their  abolition — Prizes  for  general  profic- 
iency in  examination — Growth  of  the  college  clinics — Of  the 


TABLE    OF  CONTENTS.  3 

Physiological  find  Pathological  Laboratory — Changes  in  meth- 
ods of  examination — Lengtheningof  the  term  .   Pages  io8 — 135. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Changes  in  the  Faculty. 
1865—1887. 

Dr.  Chandler  R.  Gilman — Dr.  Thomas — Dr.  McLane — Dr. 
Tuttle — Dr.  Joseph  M.  Smith  as  professor  of  materia  medica — 
Succeeded  by  Dr.  McLane — Dr.  Edward  Curtis — Dr.  Peabody 
— Dr.  Watts  professor  of  anatomy — Dr.  Sands — Dr.  Sabine — 
Dr.  Parker  professor  of  surgery — His  resignation — Dr.  Markoe 
— Dr.  Sands — Dr.  Hall — Dr.  Bull — Dr.  St.  John  professor  of 
chemistry — Succeeded  by  Dr.  Chandler — Dr.  Francis  Delafield 
professor  of  pathology  and  practical  medicine — Dr.  John  G. 
Curtis  professor  of  physiology — Dr.  Edward  Delafield,  eighth 
president  of  the  College — Dr.  Clark,  ninth  president — The 
faculty  in  1887 Pages  136 — 152. 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Gifts  and  Bequests  to  the  College. 
1875— 1886. 

Dr.  McClelland — His  bequests  to  the  Alumni  Association 
and  to  the  College — Mr.  James  T.  Swift — His  gift  for  a  physi- 
ological cabinet — Mr.  William  H.  Vanderbilt — His  gift  of  land 
and  building  fund — His  reasons  for  the  benefaction — His  life 
and  character — Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  D.  Sloane — The  Sloane 
Maternity  Hospital — The  Vanderbilt  Clinic — Increased  capac- 
ity of  the  College  from  these  endowments    .     .     Pages  153 — 164. 

CHAPTER  X. 

The  College  in  Fifty-ninth  Street. 
1887— 1888. 
Plans  for  the  new  building^ — Its  erection  and  inauguration 
— Description  of  the  college  building — The  Sloane  Maternity 
Hospital — Its  construction  and  organization — The  Vanderbilt 
Clinic — Its  departments — Clinical  staff — The  Roosevelt  Hos- 
pital— Endowment  and  organization  —  Hospital  Staff — New 
measures  adopted  by  the  College — Entrance  examinations — 
Lengthening  of  the  term — Changes  in  the  curriculum — Estab- 
lishm-ent  of  a  three  years' college  course  .     .     .  Pages  165 — 197. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY. 

The  materials  for  this  work  have  been  drawn  from  the  rec- 
ords of  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  and  also  from 

the  following  : 

Minutes  of  the  Regents  of  the  University  of  the  State  of  New 
York,  from  1791  to  1850,  inclusive. 

Minutes  of  the  Medical  Society  of  the  county  of  New  York,  for 
1807,  1809,  1819,  1820,  and  1825. 

RoMAYNE. — Report  and  address  delivered  by  the  President  to 
the  Medical  Society  of  the  county  of  New  York.  Published 
by  the  Society.    .New  York,  1807. 

MiTCHiLL.— Picture  of  New  York,  or  the  Traveller's  Guide 
through  the  commercial  metropolis  of  the  United  States. 
By  a  gentleman  residing  in  this  city.     New  York,  1807. 

HosACK. — Statement  of  facts  relative  to  the  Elgin  Botanic  Gar- 
den, New  York,  181 1. 

Exposition  of  the  transactions  relative  to  the  College  of  Physi- 
cians and  Surgeons  in  the  city  of  New  York.  New  York, 
1812. 

HosACK. — Observations  on  the  establishment  of  the  College  of 
Physicians  and  Surgeons  in  the  city  of  New  York  and  the 
late  proceedings  of  the  Regents  of  the  University  relative 
to  that  institution.     New  York,  181 1. 

HosACK. — Historical  sketch  of  the  origin,  progress  and  present 
state  of  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  the  State  of  New  York.  (With  a  view  of  the  Col- 
~  lege).  New  York,  1813  ; 
also  in  the  American  Medical  and  Philosophical  Register. 
New  York,  18 14. 

Account  oi  the  life  and  character  of  Edward  Miller,  M.D.,  Ameri- 
can Medical  and  Philosophical  Register.     1812. 

Memoir  of  Archibald  Bruce,  M.D.,  in  the  American  Journal  of 
Science.     New  York,  181 8. 

Obituary  notice  of  Nicholas  Romayne,  M.D.,  in  the  Medical  Re- 
pository.    New  York,  18 18. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY.  5 

Stearns. — Annual  address  before  the  Medical  Society  of  the 
State  of  New  York.     Albany,  1818. 

Obituary  notice  of  Benjamin  De  Witt,  M.D.,  in  the  Medical  Re- 
pository.    New  York,  1819. 

MiTCHiLL. — Discourse  on  the  life  and  cliaracter  of  Samuel  Bard, 
M.D.  ;  New  York,  1821. 

MacVickar. — Life  of  Samuel  Bard,  M.D.  ;  New  York,  1822. 

HosACK. — Inaugural  Discourse  at  the  opening  of  Rutgers  Medi- 
cal College.     New  York,  1826. 

Beck. — Obituary  notice  of  James  Freeman  Dana,  M.D.  ;  in  the 
New  York  Medical  and  Physical  Journal.     New  York,  1827. 

Thacher. — American  Medical  Biography  ;  Boston,  1828. 

Smith,  J.  A. — Eulogium  on  the  late  Wright  Post,  M.D.  ;  in  the 
New  York  Medical  and  Physical  Journal,  1828. 

Obituary  notice  of  Samuel  L.  Mitchill,  M.D.  ;  in  the  New  York 
Medical  Journal,  183 1. 

Francis. — Reminiscences  of  Samuel  Latham  Mitchill,  M.D., 
New  York,  1859. 

Moore. — Memoir  of  John  Watts,  M.D.,  New  York,  183 1. 

Williams. — American  Medical  Biography.     Greenfield,  1845. 

MoTT. — Reminiscences  of  medical  teachers  and  teaching  in  New 
York.     New  York,  1850. 

GiLMAN. — Sketch  of  the  life  and  character  of  John  Brodhead 
Beck,  M.D.  ;  in  the  New  York  Journal  of  Medicine,  185 1. 

Francis. — Old  New  York,  or  Reminiscences  of  the  past  sixty 
years.     New  York,  1858. 

MoTT. — Eulogy  on  the  late  John  W.  Francis,  M.D.  New  York, 
1861. 

Gross. — Lives  of  eminent  American  Physicians  and  Surgeons. 
Philadelphia,  1861. 

Blatchford. — Our  Alma  Mater  fifty  years  ago.  Oration  deliv- 
ered before  the  Alumni  Association,  March  14th,  1861. 

Adams. — Memoir  of  Jacob  Harsen,  M.D.,  read  before  the  New 
York  Academy  of  Medicine,  June  ist,  1864. 

Post. — Eulogy  on  the  late  Valentine  Mott,  M.D.  ;  delivered  be- 
fore the  N.  Y.  Academy  of  Medicine,  November  27th,  1865. 

Adams. — Discourse  commemorative  of  the  life  and  character  of 
Alexander  H.  Stevens,  M.D.  ;  New  York,  1871. 

Obituary  notice  of  John  McClelland,  M.D.  ;  in  the  New  York 
Medical  Register  for  1875-6. 

Lamb. — History  of  the  city  of  New  York.     New  York,  1S80. 


CHAPTER    I. 

INTRODUCTION. 

FOUNDATION    AND    EARLY    YEARS    OF    THE    COLLEGE. 

1807-181I. 

The  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  has 
reached  a  point  in  its  history  when  it  seems  desir- 
able to  collect,  in  a  permanent  and  accessible  form, 
the  records  of  its  growth.  Now  in  the  eighty-second 
year  of  its  existence,  it  occupies  a  position  of  strength 
and  security,  guaranteed  by  continuous  progress  in 
the  past  and  the  promise  of  greater  prosperity  in  the 
future.  It  is  the  oldest  existing  medical  school  in  the 
State  of  New  York,  and  one  of  the  four  in  the  United 
States  which  have  lasted  for  more  than  three  quarters 
of  a  century.  It  bears  upon  its  rolls  the  names  of 
over  four  thousand  five  hundred  graduates  ;  and  its 
alumni  have  always  shown  a  deep  solicitude  for  its 
welfare.  There  are  none  now  living  whose  personal 
recollections  connect  them  in  any  degree  with  the 
early  years  of  the  institution  ;  and  for  those  of  the 
present  generation  its  annals  have  all  the  attraction 
of  historic  interest.  In  some  respects,  moreover,  they 
may  yield  instruction  as  well  as  entertainment.  The 
present    condition    of  the    College    is    by    no    means 


8  EARLY   YEARS 

wholly  due  to  events  or  influences  of  our  own  day. 
Its  destiny  has  been  shaped  by  many  different  causes 
following  each  other  in  long  succession,  the  more  re- 
cent always  connected  in  some  measure  with  those 
which  have  gone  before.  Every  improvement  in  its 
organization  or  operation  has  been  accomplished  by 
repeated  and  persevering  endeavor,  by  gradual  en- 
largement rather  than  by  sudden  or  forcible  expan- 
sion. It  has  had  its  trials  and  vicissitudes,  its  failures 
as  well  as  its  successes ;  and  we  may  surely  learn 
something  from  experience,  to  avoid  the  repetition  of 
past  mistakes.  A  difficulty  once  removed,  by  means 
which  have  proved  effectual,  need  not  again  be  en- 
countered if  the  institution  adhere  to  its  policy  of  a 
discriminating  and  judicious  conservatism.  On  the 
other  hand,  it  has  ever  been  ready  to  alter  its  cus- 
toms and  regulations  when  they  have  become  useless 
or  inappropriate  and  no  longer  fulfil  the  purpose  for 
which  they  were  designed.  Its  methods  have  varied 
to  meet  the  necessity  of  the  times ;  its  aims  and  ob- 
jects have  always  been  the  same. 

The  College  took  its  origin,  in  the  first  decade  of 
the  century,  from  a  spontaneous  movement  of_the 
profession  in  the  city  of  New  York  for  the  cultiva- 
tion and  improvement  of  medical  science  and  art.  In 
the  year  1807  the  Medical  Society  of  the  County  of 
New  York  adopted  a  memorial  to  the  legislature,  set- 
ting forth  the  desire  of  its  members  to  "promote  the 
progress   of  medical  knowledge,"  and  to   give   "  en- 


OF  THE   COLLEGE.  9 

couragement  and  protection  "  to  the  pursuit  of  medi- 
cal science;  and  expressing  the  belief  that  "their 
usefulness  would  be  extended  in  promoting  the  pub- 
lic good  and  the  improvement  of  their  profession  "  by 
their  incorporation  as  a  college  under  the  auspices  of 
the  State  University.  They  accordingly  petitioned  to 
be  so  incorporated  "  under  the  direction,  inspection, 
anSTpatronage  of  the  Regents  of  the  University,"  in 
such  manner  as  might  be  deemed  proper  "  for  the 
public  good,  and  the  promotion  and  improvement  of 
the  medical  profession  and  the  sciences  connected 
therewith." 

At  the  same  time  a  memorial  was  addressed  to  the 
Regents_ofthe  University  informing  them  of  the 
efforts  of  the  Society  for  the  diffusion  of  science  and 
the  improvement  of  the  profession,  and  declaring  that 
these  efforts  "  would  be  more  successful  if  they  were 
directed  under  the  patronage  of  the  Regents,"  and 
praying  them  to  "favor  the  views  of  the  said  Society." 

This  action  met  with  a  prompt  response  from  the 
Regents  of  the  University ;  and  within  a  month  there- 
after the  members  of  the  Society  were  duly  incorpor- 
ated as  a  college,  by  a  charter  bearing  date  March 
1 2th,  1807.  The  charter  was  granted  by  the  Regents 
under  authority  conferred  on  them  by  a  previous  act 
of  the  legislature. 

The  Medical  Society  of  the  County  of  New  York 
was  then  in  the  second  year  of  its  existence,an3.  num- 
bered one  hundred  and  thirty-nine  members  ;  embrac- 
ing all  the  legally  qualified  practitioners  in  the  vicinity. 


7 


-'       ^  v 


lO  EARLY   YEARS 

Its  constituent  meeting,  July  ist,  1806,  is  called,  in  the 
printed  report  of  the  proceedings,  a  "  meeting  of  the 
physicians  and  surgeons  of  the  city  and  county  of 
New  York."  In  the  address  of  its  presiding  officer 
on  the  following  day  it  is  spoken  of  by  the  same 
designation  ;  and  when,  beside  their  org-anization  as  a 
society,  its  members  were  also  incorporated  as  a  col- 
lege, the  institution  so  established  was  entitled  the 
College  oy  Physicians  and  Surgeons  in  the_dty  of 
New  York.  The  members  of  the  society  became,  by 
the  charter,  members  of  the  college.  They  were  em- 
powered to  elect  annually  its  president,  vice  president, 
registrar,  treasurer  and  censors ;  to  make  by-laws, 
rules  and  regulations  relative  to  its  affairs  and  prop- 
erty ;  and  to  direct  the  disposal  of  moneys  in  the 
hands  of  the  treasurer.  They  were  responsible  for 
their  administration  only  to  the  Regents  of  the  Uni- 
versity, to  whom  was  reserved  the  appointment  of 
professors  and  the  right  of  conferring  degrees. 

The  College  was  therefore,  in  its  primary  organi- 
zation, a  creation  of  the  Medical  Society  of  the  County 
of  New  York  ;  and  the  body  of  its  trustees  or  mem- 
bers comprised  all  the  members  of  that  Society.  This 
forms  one  of  its  most  honorable  claims  to  distinction. 
It  represented  the  best  endeavors  of  the  profession 
for  the  diffusion  of  medical  knowledge  and  a  better 
medical  education.  It  embodied  their  hopes  for  the 
immediate  needs  of  the  time,  and  laid  the  foundation 
for  further  improvement  in  the  future. 

But  an  educational  institution    can  hardly  be  ad- 


OF  THE   COLLEGE.  II 

ministered  successfully  by  so  large  a  body  of  man- 
agers as  the  whole  membership  of  the  county  medical 
society. «  However  sincere  their  intention,  they  could 
not  all  possess  the  requisite  knowledge  nor  command 
the  necessary  time  for  the  regulation  of  its  affairs  ; 
and  in  point  of  fact  at  their  first  meeting,  to  complete 
the  college  organization.  May  5th,  1807,  only  sixty- 
three  members  were  present.  Other  defects  in  the 
charter  became  apparent  on  trial.  Under  its^  pro- 
visions the  executive  officers  of  the  College  were  to 
be  elected  annually.  But  these  officers  require,  for 
the  due  performance  of  their  functions,  the  experience 
and  familiarity  of  continuous  service  ;  and  the  busi- 
ness of  the  institution  would  be  liable  to  derangement 
if  they  were  too  frequently  changed. 

These  imperfections  seemed  so  obvious  that  in  the 
following  year  the  College  presented  to  the  Regents 
a  request  for  certain  changes,  which  were  considered 
"important  to  the  stability  and  usefulness  of  the  insti- 
tution;" and  the  charter  was  consequently  amended 
by  an  ordinance  passed  March  3d,  1808. 

The  alterations  introduced  by  this  amendment 
were  two-fold.  First,  the  officers  of  the  College,  in- 
stead of  being  elected  annually  by  the  corporation, 
were_  appointed  by  the  JR.6gents,  thus  giving  greater 
stability  to  the  organization  ;  and  secondly,  all  mem- 
bers  of  the  medical  society  who  wished  to  serve  as 
trustees  or  members  of  the  College  were  required,  as 
a  condition,  to  declare  in  writing  their  acceptance  of 
the  trust,  and  that  they  would,  "  to  the   best  of  their 


12  EARLY   YEARS 

abilities,  endeavour  to  promote  the  usefulness  of  the 
said  College,  and  faithfully  execute  the  several  duties 
required  of  them."  By  this  means  the  institution  was 
relieved  of  its  doubtful  or  indifferent  members,  and 
was  entrusted  to  those  who  had  faith  in  its  destiny 
and  would  give  it  the  guaranty  of  their  favor  and  sup- 
port. 

In  the  mean  time  the  College  had  elected  its  officers, 
adopted  a  code  of  by-laws,  and  had  been  provided 
with  a  corps  of  professors  and  lecturers,  ready  to  carry 
on  the  business  of  instruction.     They  were  as  follows  : 

THE    FACULTY    IN    1807. 

Nicholas  Romayne,  M.D.,  President,  and  Lecturer  on 
Anatomy. 

Samuel  L.  Mitchill,  M.D.,  Vice  President,  and  Pro- 
fessor of  Chemistry. 

Edward  Miller,  M.D.,  Professor  of  the  Practice  of 
Physic  and  Clinical  Medicine. 

David  Hosack,  M.D.,  Professor  of  Materia  Medica 
and  Botany,  and  Lecturer  on  Surgery  aud  Mid- 
wifery. 

Archibald  Bruce,  M.D.,  Registrar,  and  Professor  of 
Mineralogy. 

Benjamin  De  Witt,  M.D.,  Professor  of  the  Lnstitutes 
of  Medicine  and  Lecturer  on  Chem^istry. 

John  Augustine  Smith,  Adjunct  Lecturer  on  Anat- 
omy. 


OF   THE   COLLEGE.       '  1 3 

All  of  these  gentlemen  were  residents  of  the  city 
and  members  of  the  County  Medical  Society,  with  the 
exception  of  John  Augustine  Smith,  who  came  from 
Virginia  to  accept  his  appointment  in  the  College. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Royal  College  of  Surgeons 
of  London,  where  he  had  completed  his  medical  edu- 
cation. He  afterward  received  the  honorary  degree 
of  M.D.  from  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons 
where  he  was  serving  as  professor. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  College  in  June,  1807,  the 
president,  professors,  and  lecturers  were  constituted  a 
"  Senatus  academicus,"  or  a  sort  of  standing  com- 
mittee, to  "  correspond  with  the  medical  societies  in 
the  several  counties  in  the  State,"  to  make  regula- 
tions for  the  teaching  department,  to  ascertain  what 
branches  of  medical  science  "usually  taught  in  the 
most  respectable  universities"  w^ere  still  unprovided 
for,  and  to  nominate  fit  and  proper  persons  to  fill  such 
vacancies. 

Under  this  authority  a  circular  was  issued  to  the 
presidents  of  the  different  county  medical  societies, 
informing  them  of  the  establishment  of  the  College 
and  of  the  intended  course  of  instruction.  It  is  evi- 
dent from  various  sources  that  the  Collegre  was  in- 
tended  to  be  an  institution  of  wide  and  general  use- 
fulness to  the  profession,  embracing,  as  one  of  its 
functions,  that  of  systematic  medical  teaching.  The 
circular  declares  that  "it  is  the  principal  object  of  this 
new  Institution  to  assist  the  progress  of  medical  sci- 
ence in  every  part  of  the  State  of  New  York  ;  "  and 


14  EARLY   YEARS 

that  its  members  consider  "  the  cultivation  of  corre- 
spondence and  intimate  connection  with  the  Medical 
Society  of  the  State,  and  the  Medical  Societies  of  the 
several  Counties  as  one  of  their  most  important  du- 
ties." It  also  announces  that  "under  the  direction 
and  patronage  of  the  Regents  the  College  of  Physi- 
cians and  Surgeons  have  instituted  a  School  of  Physic, 
which  it  will  be  their  unremitting  endeavour  to  render 
equal,  in  extent,  comprehensiveness,  and  accuracy  of 
instruction,  to  the  most  distinguished  universities  of 
Europe  ;  "  and  that  they  have  procured,  "  in  a  cen- 
tral part  of  the  city,"  a  commodious  building,  where 
apartments  will  be  fitted  up  for  the  use  of  the  lecturers 
and  students.  The  arrangements  were  completed  in 
accordance  with  this  plan,  and  the  first  course  of  lec- 
tures was_duly  opened  on  Tuesday,  November  loth, 
1807. 

But  such  an  institution  is  not  set  on  foot  without 
the  expenditure  of  money.  Many  outlays  must  be  in- 
curred for  indispensable  objects  before  there  can  be 
any  source  of  revenue.  The  annual  rent  of  the  house 
secured  for  the  use  of  the  College  was  $800.  The 
necessary  repairs,  fittings,  and  furniture,  to  make  it 
available  for  its  new  purpose,  cost  $730.  Moreover, 
there  were  charges  for  fuel,  printing,  wages,  anatomical 
material,  chemical  apparatus  and  supplies,  and  other 
incidental  requisites,  amounting  during  the  year  to 
$1,120  additional.  How  were  these  unavoidable  ex- 
penditures to  be  met  ?  In  the  first  place,  there  were 
"contributions"  from  various  members  of  the  College, 


OF   THE   COLLEGE.  1 5 

in  sums  of  from  ten  to  twenty  dollars  each,  amounting 
in  all  to  $230.  Secondly,  Dr.  Romayne  gave  his  note 
of  hand  for  $5,000,  which  was  used  by  the  College  as 
security  to  obtain  advances  of  money  from  the  Manhat- 
tan Bank.  Subsequently,  Dr.  Romayne  was  joined  in 
this  guaranty  by  Drs.  Miller  and  Bruce,  and  further 
sums  were  added  to  it  until  it  amounted,  in  1810,  to  over 
$8,000.  Meanwhile  a  grant  was  made  to  the  College 
by  the  legislature  of  an  interest  in  the  "literature 
fund  lotteries,"  originally  established  for  the  benefit  of 
Union  College  in  Schenectady.  This  grant  was  to 
yield  twenty  thousand  dollars,  in  successive  instal- 
ments of  five  thousand  dollars  each.  The  first  of 
these  instalments  was  paid  in  1810,  and  was  used  to 
liquidate  a  part  of  the  above  debt ;  but  the  joint  obli- 
gation of  Drs.  Romayne,  Miller,  and  Bruce  was  not 
fully  discharged  until  December,  1813. 

TheJ^^entral  part  ot  the  city,"  in  which  the  Col 
lege.was  inaugurated  and  where  its  first  sessions  were 
held,  was  Robinson  street.  It  was  a  short  street,  run-  vtx/' 
ning  west  from  Broadway  to  the  grounds  then  occu- 
pied by  Columbia  College ;  and  formed  a  portion  of 
what  is  now  Park  Place.*  Even  its  present  designa- 
tion has  long  been  a  misnomer,  since  the  disappear- 
ance of  the  Park  from  its  eastern  extremity  and  its  ex- 
tension as  a  street  in  the  opposite  direction  to  the 
North  River.  The  college  building  was  at  number 
18,  on  the  south  side  of  the  street.  Probably  not  a 
single   feature  of  the   locality,  as   it  then  was,  exists 

*  The  name  of  Robinson  street  was  changed  to  Park  Place  in  1813. 


1 6  EARLY   YEARS 

to-day ;  biit  for  the  friends  of  the  institution  it  must 
always  retain  a  certain  mysterious  interest,  as  the 
earliest  domicile  of  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Sur- 
geons. 

At  that  time  the  population  of  New  York  was  but 
little  more  than  eighty  thousand.  Most  of  the  city 
was  below  Chambers  street.  The  wealthier  resi- 
dences were  at  the  lower  end  of  Broadway,  about  the 
Battery  and  Bowling  Green,  with  the  shops  in  the 
upper  part  of  the  same  street.  Broadway  was  paved 
only  to  the  neighborhood  of  Canal  street,  beyond 
which  it  continued  as  a  road.  Canal  street  itself  ex- 
isted only  on  paper,  and  was  represented  by  a  swamp 
and  a  sluggish  stream,  crossed  by  a  bridge  at  the  in- 
tersection of  Broadway.  The  New  York  Hospital 
was  in  an  open  space  on  the  west  side  of  Broadway, 
between  the  present  Duane  and  Worth  streets.  Its 
approach  from  Broadway  was  bordered  with  elms  ; 
and  it  had  on  one  side  a  kitchen  garden,  to  supply  it 
with  vegetables.  It  was  three  stories  in  height ;  and 
the  cupola  on  its  roof  commanded  an  extensive  view, 
embracing  "  the  entire  city,"  as  well  as  **  the  harbour 
and  country  beyond,  to  a  great  distance."  The  Park, 
in  the  upper  portion  of  the  city,  occupied  the  triangu- 
lar space  between  Broadway  and  Park  Row,  now  cov- 
ered in  great  measure  by  the  Post  Office  building  and 
the  adjoining  thoroughfare.  It  was  "  planted  with 
elms,  planes,  willows,  and  catalpas."  The  space  was 
enclosed  with  a  wooden  paling,  and  the  surrounding 
foot-walk  "  encompassed  by  rows  of  poplars."     The 


OF   THE   COLLEGE.  1 7 

water-supply  of  the  city  was  from  wells  and  pumps, 
usually  situated  in  the  middle  of  the  street ;  the  water 
being  distributed  thence  in  casks  by  wagons  to  the 
house  doors.  There  was  a  stage  route  from  Wall 
street  to  Greenwich  village,  about  two  miles  distant, 
the  present  vicinity  of  Christopher  street.  The  ferries 
to  Brooklyn  and  the  Jersey  shore  were  served  by  row 
boats  and  small  sailing  craft.  There  were  neither 
Croton  water-works  nor  gas  companies ;  and  none  of 
the  streets  were  occupied  by  telegraph  lines  or  ele- 
vated railroads. 

But  notwithstanding  this  contrast  with  the  appear- 
ance of  the  city  at  present,  it  would  be  a  mistake  to 
suppose  that  there  was  anything  that  could  be  called 
primitive  in  its  people  or  their  mode  of  life.  They 
occupied  a  smaller  area  and  lived  at  the  beginning  of 
the  century  ;  but  except  for  the  differences  of  space 
and  time,  they  were  as  busy,  enterprising,  luxurious 
and  progressive  then  as  now.  The  population  of  the 
city  had  increased  over  thirty  per  cent,  since  1800; 
and  in  certain  localities  the  land  was  said  to  have 
tripled  In  value  within  twenty  years.  Mr.  John  Lam- 
bert, an  English  writer  who  visited  this  country  in 
1807,  found  every  indication  of  prosperity.  In  the 
business  part  of  the  town  "  all  was  life,  bustle  and 
activity."  The  houses  in  Broadway  were  "  lofty  and 
well  built ;  "  the  shops  "  large  and  commodious,  well 
stocked  with  European  and  India  goods,  and  exhibit- 
ing as  splendid  and  varied  a  show  in  their  windows 
as  could  be  met  with  in  London."     The   manner   of 


1 8  EARLY    YEARS 

living,  ariiong  the  wealthy  and  professional  classes, 
seemed  "little  inferiour  to  that  of  Europeans  ;  "  their 
houses  being  "furnished  with  everything  agreeable  or 
ornamental,"  and  "fitted  up  in  the  tasteful  magnifi- 
cence of  modern  style."*  There  were  seven  or  eight 
daily  newspapers,  and  a  medical  quarterly  edited  by 
two  of  the  most  prominent  members  of  the  profes- 
sion. 

Such  was  the  condition  of  the  city  and  the  times 
when  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  came 
into  existence.  Its  friends  believed  that  a  promising 
field  of  prosperity  and  usefulness  lay  before  it,  and 
the  immediate  result  was  not  disappointing.  Its  first 
course  of  lectures  was  attended  by  fifty-three  students. 
Early  in  the  following  year  it  appeared  to  the  Regents 
of  the  University  that  the  College  had  commenced  its 
business  in  a  manner  "to  answer  all  the  expectations 
entertained  in  its  establishment ;  "  and  they  recom- 
mended it,  in  their  report  to  the  legislature,  as  an 
^^^aU'A-'^  institution  "important  to  the  welfare  of  the  people  of 
i*^         the  State."     At  the  second  session  its  class  numbered 


4>r  "•'','-- 


seventy-six,  and  at  the  third  eighty-two. 

After  the  first  year  the  faculty  was  completed  by 
the  permanent  appointment  of  professors  in  place  of 
lecturers,  giving  it  the  following  organization : 

*  This  modern  style  was  the  revival  of  classical  taste  in  architecture 
and  house  decoration,  which  originated  in  France  under  the  consulate 
and  the  empire,  and  extended  thence  to  England  and  the  United  States. 
It  continued  in  vogue,  in  this  country,  for  about  twenty  years. 


OF   THE   COLLEGE. 

THE    FACULTY    IN    1808. 


19 


Nicholas  Romayne,  M.D.,  President,  and  Professor 
of  the  Institutes  of  Medicine.     . 

Samuel  L.  Mitchill,  M.D,,  Vice  President,  and  Pro- 
fessor of  Natter al  History  and  Botany. 

Edward  Miller,  M.D.,  Professor  of  the  Practice  of 
Physic  and  Clinical  Medicine. 

Archibald  Bruce,  M.D.,  Professor  of  Mineralogy  and 
Materia  Medica. 

Benjamin  De  Witt,  M.D. ,  Professor  of  Chemistry. 

John  Augustine  Smith,  Professor  of  Anato7ny  a?id 
Surgery. 

William  James  Macneven,  M.D.,  Professor  of  Obstet- 
rics and  the  Diseases  of  Woinefi  and  Children. 

Such  a  course  of  instruction  was  intended  to  an- 
swer the  requirements  of  a  thoroughly  hberal  medi- 
cal education  ;  including,  in  addition  to  the  ordinary 
topics,  the  auxiliary  branches  of  natural  history,  bot- 
any and  mineralogy.  The  "institutes  of  medicine  " 
comprised  physiology  and  hygiene,  the  general  doc- 
trine of  the  causes  and  symptoms  of  disease,  and 
general  therapeutics.  Mineralogy  was  taught  by  the 
professor  of  materia  medica,  and  anatomy  and  surgery 
were  also  confided  to  a  single  chair.  The  distribu- 
tion of  subjects  was  therefore  unlike  that  generally 
adopted  at  the  present  day.  The  regular  lecture 
term  was  of  four  months'  duration. 

In  some  other  respects  the  methods  of  that  time 
were  different  from  those  to  which  we  are  now  accus- 


20  EARLY   YEARS 

tomecl.  The  main  business  of  the  session  was  ap- 
proached with  a  certain  formaHty,  befitting  the  pro- 
fessional dignity  of  the  occasion.  The  first  day  was 
devoted  to  an  introductory  address  by  the  president, 
at  twelve  o'clock.  Afterward  the  professors  followed 
in  turn,  on  successive  days,  at  the  same  hour,  each 
with  an  introductory  in  his  own  department ;  so  that 
on  the  whole  an  entire  week  was  taken  up  with  pre- 
liminary medical  literature.  But  the  regular  course 
once  fairly  opened,  the  work  of  instruction  was  car- 
ried on  with  industry  and  zeal.  It  appears  from  the 
programme  for  1 808  that  five  lectures  were  given  in 
the  College  every  day.  Some  of  the  professors  lect- 
ured four  times  a  week,  others  daily  throughout  the 
session.  Both  their  time  and  that  of  their  pupils  must 
have  been  fully  occupied. 

It  is  also  noticeable  that  measures  were  taken  from 
the  very  beginning,  to  secure  the  advantages  of  hos- 
pital instruction.  At  a  meeting  of  the  College  in 
June,  1807,  it  was  Resolved,  "  that  the  Senatus  acad- 
.^^^^  '  emicus  be  empowered,  on  the  part  of  the  College,  to 
confer  with  the  Governors  of  the  New  York  Hospital 
relative  to  the  promotion  of  medical  education  ;  "  and 
later  in  the  same  year  it  was  announced  that  the  stu- 
dents would  "  have  an  opportunity  of  attending  the 
practice  of  Dr.  Miller  at  the  New  York  Hospital,  the 
Governors  of  that  Institution  having  with  great  liber- 
ality made  arrangements  for  that  purpose."  The  hour 
for  clinical  instruction  at  the  hospital  was  from  twelve 
to  one  o'clock.      Visits  were  also  made  with  Dr.  Mac- 


«  ,-  /' 


OF   THE  COLLEGE.  2  1 

neven  at  the  almshouse,  then  situated  in  Chambers 
street  on  the  site  of  the  present  city  court  house. 

The  house  in  Robinson  street  was  one  hired  for       i         /J 
temporary  use,  and  at  the  end  of  the  second  year  the    '^    ,  \ 

College^ was  removed  to  a  building  of  its  own  in  Maga- 
zine street.  This  was  a  street  extending  east  from  a 
point  in  Broadway  opposite  the  grounds  of  the  hos- 
pital. It  afterward  became  the  upper  end  of  Pearl 
street,  with  which  it  was  united  in  1811.  The  prop- 
erty consisted  of  a  lot  twenty-five  feet  in  width  by  one 
hundred  feet  in  depth,  having  upon  it  a  dwelling 
house,  probably  of  two  or  two  and  a  half  stories.  It 
was  purchased  in  1807  by  Dr.  Romayne,  who  at  first 
held  it  in  trust,  the  title  being  afterward  formally  trans- 
ferred to  the  College.  It  was  on  the  south  side  of 
the  street,  near  Broadway,  and  corresponded  with  the 
present  number  553  Pearl  street.  After  being  fitted 
up  for  the  reception  of  the  College,  it  was  occu£ied  in 
November,  1809. 

This  was  the  history  of  the  institution  for  the  first 
few  years  of  its  existence.  During  that  time  it  num- 
bered in  its  faculty  several  members  of  marked  char- 
acter and  ability. 

Foremost  among  these  was  Nicholas  Romayne,  the 
most^active  man  in  the  organization  of  the  College,  and 
its  first  president.  He  was  the  delegate  who  obtained  its 
charter  from  the  Regents  of  the  University;  he  pledged 
his  personal  credit  to  provide  it  with  funds  ;  and  he 
delivered  for  three  years  the  lectures  on  the  institutes  of 
medicine.     He  was  a  little  over  fifty  years  of  age,  and 


2  2  EARLY   YEARS 

already  a  successful  teacher  of  private  pupils  in  nearly 
all  the  departments  of  medicine.  He  was  elected 
president  of  the  Medical  Society  of  the  County  of 
New  York  at  its  organization  in  1806,  and  was  presi- 
dent of  the  State  Medical  Society  in  1809,  18 10  and 
iSij  ;  and  he  had  been  zealous  in  procuring  from  the 
legislature  a  variety  of  laws  for  the  benefit  of  the  pro- 
fession. He  was  a  man  of  large  stature,  but  easy  and 
graceful  motion  ;  of  vigorous  and  cultivated  mind,  ac- 
tive ambition  and  persistent  energy  ;  and  of  a  dis- 
position always  ready  to  accept  the  responsibilities 
of  the  occasion.  If  the  College  can  be  said  to  have 
been  established  through  the  special  exertion  and  in- 
fluence of  any  one  man.  Dr.  Romayne  must  undoubt- 
edly be  regarded  as  its  founder. 

Equally  notable  was  Dr.  Samuel  L.  Mitcliill,  vice 
president  of  jthe  College,  senator  of  the  United  States, 
professor  of  Chemistry  and  Natural  History.  He  was 
between  forty  and  fifty  years  of  age,  and  of  wide  re- 
putation as  a  man  of  talent  and  accomplishments. 
According  to  his  biographers  he  was  a  kind  of  "  hu- 
man dictionary,"  whose  opinion  was  sought  by 
schemers  and  inventors  of  every  grade,  and  who 
could  be  consulted  with  profit  on  any  question  of 
science,  history  or  politics.  He  was  equally  distin- 
guished for  his  learning  and  originality,  and  for  his 
"  hospitality  to  new  ideas."  He  could  discourse  in 
turn  on  a  Babylonian  brick,  meteoric  stones,  the  theory 
of  chemical  combination,  the  construction  of  a  wind-mill, 
the  fishes  of  North  America,  or  the  geology  of  Niagara 


OF   THE   COLLEGE. 


22> 


Falls.  He  was  one  of  the  founders  and  editors  of  the 
New  York  "  Medical  Repository,"  the  earliest  medical 
periodical  in  the  United  States,  and  he  was  for  twenty 
years  indefatigable  in  contributing  to  its  success.     He 


Samuel  L.  Mitchill,  M.D. 

Vice  President  of  the  College,  1S07-1811.  Senator  of  the  United  States, 
1804-1809.  Professor  of  Chemistry,  1807-1808  ;  of  Natural  History  and  Botany, 
1808-1820;  and  of  Botany  and  Materia  Medica,  1820-1826.  From  an  engraved 
copy  of  the  portrait  by  Jarvis,  now  in  the  library  hall  of  Colmnbia  College  ; 
painted  about  1815. 


24  EARLY    YEARS 

obtained  from  Congress  the  appropriation  for  the  de- 
fences of  New  York  harbor  ;  he  aided  De  Witt  CHn- 
ton  in  his  project  for  the  Erie  canal,  and  was  the 
orator  of  the  day  at  the  ceremony  of  its  inauguration  ; 
he  beheved  in  Robert  Fulton's  idea  of  steam  naviga- 
tion, and  went  on  the  trial  trip  of  his  first  steamboat 
to  Albany.  Disinterested,  patriotic,  engaging  and 
communicative,  he  was  an  influential  character  in  the 
creation  and  development  of  American  science. 

Dr.  Edzvard  Miller,  professor  of  Practice  and 
Clinical  Medicine,  represented  in  his  day  the  best  type 
of  the  learned  and  skilful  practitioner.  Of  liberal 
education  and  classical  tastes,  he  kept  pace  with  the 
advance  of  professional  knowledge  ;  and  his  agreeable 
manners  were  combined  with  an  integrity  of  purpose 
universally  acknowledged.  His  friend.  Dr.  Mitchill, 
says  of  him  that  "  his  head  was  a  treasury  of  informa- 
tion, and  his  heart  a  mine  of  benevolence."  He  was 
associated  with  Dr.  Mitchill  in  the  editorship  of  the 
"Medical  Repository,"  and  was  visiting  physician  and 
clinical  lecturer  at  the  New  York  Hospital.  With  a 
large  and  lucrative  practice,  he  possessed  to  an  un- 
usual degree  the  attachment  of  his  patients,  the  esteem 
of  his  colleagues,  and  the  confidence  of  the  public. 
It  is  said  that  the  concourse  at  his  funeral,  in  1812, 
was  larger  than  had  ever  been  seen  in  New  York  on  a 
similar  occasion,  except  in  the  single  case  of  Alexander 
Hamilton. 

Dr.  Archibald  Brtice,  registrar  of  the  College  and 
professor   of    Mineralogy   and    Materia    Medica,   was 


OF   THE    COLLEGE.  25 

younger  than  most  of  his  colleagues,  but  well  known 
for  his  scientific  attainments.  After  graduating  at 
Columbia  College,  he  pursued  the  study  of  medicine 
at  Edinburgh,  where  he  received  the  degree  of  M.D. 
in  1800.  He  then  visited  various  parts  of  Europe, 
spending  his  time  in  the  study  of  mineralogy,  and  in 
collecting  a  valuable  cabinet  of  specimens  which  he 
brought  with  him  on  his  return  to  New  York.  He 
soon  afterward  commenced  the  publication  of  the 
American  journal  of  Mi7ieralogy,  the  first  purely 
scientific  journal  in  this  country,  and  the  immediate 
predecessor  of  Silliman's  "American  Journal  of  Sci- 
ence." In  conjunction  with  his  former  preceptor,  Dr. 
Romayne,  he'was  active  in  establishing  the  incorpor- 
ated medical  societies  which  did  so  much  for  the  se- 
curity and  improvement  of  the  profession  in  the 
County  and  State  of  New  York.  In  a  biographical 
notice,  published  in  Silliman's  journal  in  181 8,  it  is 
said  that  Dr.  Bruce's  ruling  passion  was  love  of  sci- 
ence ;  his  special  attention  being  devoted  to  mineral- 
ogy. On  this  subject  he  became  a  "focus  of  informa- 
tion ;  "  and  he  was  particularly  assiduous  in  bringing 
to  light  the  mineral  resources  of  the  United  States. 
He  was  social  in  his  habits  and  disposition,  ever  for- 
ward to  promote  scientific  interests,  and  an  earnest  and 
successful  worker  in  his  chosen  field  of  knowledge. 

Dr.  Benjamin  De  Witt,  professor  of  the  Institutes 
of  Medicine,  also  lectured  on  Chemistry  in  1807  dur- 
ing Dr.  Mitchill's  absence  at  Washington  as  member 
of  the  Senate.     The  following  year  he  was  appointed 


26  EARLY   YEARS 

professor  of  that  branch,   Dr.  Mitchill   assuming  the 
more  congenial  department  of  Natural  History,     Dr. 
De  Witt  was  then  established  in  the  city  as  a  practi- 
tioner, having  graduated  in  medicine  at  the  university 
of  Pennsylvania  in  1797.     He  was  the  previous  occu- 
pant of  the  house  in  Robinson  street  selected  for  the 
College,  where  his  name  appears  as  a  resident  in  the 
city  Directory  for   1807.     He   afterward  became  vice 
president  of  the  College,  and  one  of  the  censors  of  the 
State  Medical   Society.     He  was  co-editor  and   con- 
tributor to  the  New  York  "  Medical  and  Philosophical 
Journal  and  Review,"  a  semi-annual  publication  issued 
in   1809,  1810  and   i8ti.     In   1815   he  was  appointed 
Health  Officer  of  the  port  of  New  York,  and  continued 
to  perform  the  duties  of  that  office  till  his  death  in  18 19. 
Dr.   William  J.  Macneven,  appointed  professor  of 
Obstetrics  in  1808,  was  of  Irish  birth  but  received  his 
education  in  Germany  and  graduated  in  medicine  at 
the  university  of  Vienna  in  1783.     After  commencing 
practice  in  Dublin,  he  joined  the  society  of  "  United 
Irishmen"  and  took  part  in  the  rebellion  of  1798,  for 
which   he   was    arrested    and    imprisoned    until    1802. 
After  his  liberation  he  spent  a  year  or  two  in  France  ; 
coming  to  this  country  in  1804,  at  the  same  time  with 
Thomas  Addis  Emmet,  his  friend  and  political  asso- 
ciate.    He  at  once  entered  on  the  practice  of  medicine 
in   New  York,  where  his  personal  character,  as  well 
as  his  professional  and  literary  qualifications,  secured 
for  him  a  cordial  recognition.      He  was  the  author  of 
a  treatise  on  the  Use  and  Const7'Uction  of  the  Mine 


OF   THE    COLLEGE.  27 

Auger,  a  translation  from  the  German,  London,  1788  ; 
Exposition  of  the  Atomic  Theory,  New  York,  18 19; 
and  an  edition  of  Brande  s  Manual  of  Chemistry, 
with  notes  and  emendations,  New  York,  1821.  He 
was  also  associated  with  Dr.  De  Witt,  and  afterward 
with  Dr.  John  Augustine  Smith,  in  the  editorship  of 
the  "  Medical  and  Philosophical  Journal  and  Review." 

At  the  end  of  the  fourth  session,  were  held  the  first 
graduating  exercises  of  the  College.  After  the  candi- 
dates had  been  privately  examined  by  the  professors, 
a  list  of  those  found  qualified  was  sent  to  the  Regents 
of  the  University,  in  whom  resided  the  authority  for 
issuing  the  diplomas.  Subsequently  each  candidate 
submitted  to  the  faculty  his  graduating  thesis,  written 
"  either  in  the  English,  French,  or  Latin  language," 
which  he  was  required  to  defend  at  a  special  public 
examination ;  and  finally,  all  these  preliminaries  being 
fulfilled,  the  degrees  were  conferred  and  the  diplomas 
delivered  at  a  public  Commencement  on  Wednesday, 
May  15th,  181 1. 

The  exercises  on  this  occasion  were  somewhat 
elaborate,  the  programme  having  been  arranged  be- 
forehand by  a  committee  appointed  for  that  purpose. 
At  half-past  ten  in  the  forenoon  a  procession  was 
formed  at  the  City  Hall,  consisting  of  "  students  of 
medicine,  candidates  for  graduation,  Members  of  the 
College,  the  Professors,  President  and  Vice  Presi- 
dent, the  Trustees  of  Columbia  College,  the  Chan- 
cellor and  Regents  of  the   University,  the  Reverend 


28  EARLY   YEARS   OF  THE   COLLEGE. 

Clergy  of  different  denominations,  Physicians,  Gentle- 
men of  the  bar,  and  Strangers  of  distinction."  The 
procession,  headed  by  the  janitor  of  the  College, 
moved  from  the  City  Hall  to  the  Brick  Presbyte- 
rian Church,*  which  it  entered  "in  inverted  order." 
The  president  ascended  the  pulpit,  the  Regents  of  the 
University  seating  themselves  on  his  right  and  the 
professors  on  his  left,  upon  a  stage  erected  for  the  pur- 
pose ;  the  candidates  for  graduation  occupying  seats 
in  the  body  of  the  church.  After  a  prayer,  of  pre- 
scribed form  and  considerable  length,  the  candidates 
rose  from  their  seats,  passed  into  the  aisle  and  re- 
mained standing,  while  the  president  asked  the  assent 
of  the  faculty  and  of  the  Regents  to  their  graduation, 
and  administered  to  them  in  a  body  the  Hippocratic 
oath.  The  first  candidate  was  then  called  upon  the 
stage,  to  inscribe  his  name  in  the  college  Album ; 
after  which,  having  "his  hands  embraced  by  those  of 
the  president,"  that  officer  pronounced  the  Latin  for- 
mula creating  him  Doctor  in  Medicine,  and  delivered 
to  him  his  diploma.  This  ceremony  having  been  re- 
peated with  all  the  graduates  in  succession,  they  list- 
ened to  a  charge  from  the  vice  president,  and  the 
exercises  were  concluded  with  prayer. 

The  graduates  at  this  Commencement  were  eio-ht 
in  number,  of  whom  five  had  attended  the  first  session 
of  the  College  in  1807-8. 

*  This  church  was  in  the  triangular  space  between  the  east  side  ot 
the  City  Hall  Park,  Nassau  and  Beekman  streets.  It  was  built  in  1767. 
and  demolished  in  1857. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE    COLLEGE    IN    BARCLAY    STREET. 

PERIOD    OF    DISSENSION. 

181I-1826. 

The  four  years  from  1807  to  181 1,  during  which 
time  the  organization  and  policy  of  the  College  re- 
mained substantially  the  same,  may  be  said  to  em- 
brace the  first  chapter  of  its  history.  The  second 
opens  in  1811,  when  Dr.  Samuel  Bard  was  ap- 
pointed president  in  place  of  Dr.  Romayne,  and  a 
change  was  effected  in  the  constitution  of  the  College 
by  a  supplementary  charter.  Soon  afterward  all  the 
existing  modifications  and  amendments  were  consoli- 
dated in  a  new  charter,  granted  by  the  Regents  of  the 
University  in  18 12.  By  this  instrument  the  govern- 
ment of  the  institution  was  vested  in  a  Board  of  Trus- 
tees, limited  in  number  to  twenty-five,  of  which  the 
professors,  president,  vice  president  and  treasurer 
were  appointed  members.  The  remaining  vacancies 
were  to  be  filled  by  the  Regents  at  their  discretion ; 
but  only  a  few  additional  appointments  were  made  at 
that  time,  leaving  the  Board  mainly  in  the  hands  of 
the  professors  and  executive  officers. 

A  plan  was  also  set  on  foot  for  bringing  into  the 
faculty  the  medical  professors  of  Columbia  College. 
In  this  institution  medical  lectures  had  been  given,  by 


so  THE    COLLEGE   LN 

teachers  of  acknowledged  ability,  for  nearly  twenty 
years.  But  the  classes  in  attendance  had  never  been 
large  ;  and  the  whole  number  of  graduates,  from  1793 
to  18 1 3,  was  only  thirty-five.  It  was  already  evident 
that  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  had  in  it 
the  elements  of  success  ;  and  it  was  thought  that  by 
combining  in  a  single  faculty  the  teachers  of  both 
schools,  the  most  complete  and  efficient  course  of 
instruction  might  be  provided.  This  was  soon  after 
accomplished  by  the  mutual  consent  of  the  two  Boards 
of  Trustees  ;  the  medical  lectures  in  Columbia  Col- 
lege being  discontinued,  and  its  professors  passing 
into  the  faculty  of  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Sur- 
geons. Early  in  1814  the  change  was  formally  rati- 
fied by  the  Regents  of  the  University,  and  the  organ- 
ization of  the  faculty  became  as  follows  : 

THE     FACULTY    IN      1814. 

Samuel  Bard,  M.D.,  President. 

Benjamin   De  Witt,  M.D.,   Vice  President,  and  Pro- 
fessor of  Natural  Philosophy. 
William  J.  Macneven,  M.D.,  Professor  of  Chemistry. 
Samuel    L.   Mitchill,    M.D.,  Professor   of  Natural 

History  and  Bota?iy. 

J  ,  c^  T\T  r-w     1   yoint    Professors    of 

John  Augustine  Smith,  M.D.,  y  ^^^^^J^^  pj^^J, 

Wright  Post,  M.D.,  )       logy  and  Surgery. 

David   Hosack,  M.D.,  Professor   of  the    Theory  and 

Practice  of  Physic. 
William    Hamersley,    M.D.,    Professor   of   Clinical 

Medicine. 


BARCLAY  STREET.  3 1 

John  C.  Osborn,  M.D.,   Professor  of  Obstetrics  and 
the  Diseases  of  Women  and  Children. 

James  S.  Stringham,  M.D.,  Professor  of  Legal  Medi- 
cine. 

Valentine  Mott,  M.D.,  Professor  of  the  Principles 
and  Practice  of  Surgery. 

John  W.  Francis,  M.D.,  Registrar,  and  Professor  of 
Materia  Medica. 

The  additional  members  thus  introduced  into  the 
faculty  were  the  previous  medical  professors  of  Colum- 
bia College,  excepting  Dr.  John  W.  Francis,  who  was 
an  alumnus  of  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons, 
having  graduated  at  its  first  Commencement  in  1811. 
The  new  professors  were  at  once  appointed  to  the 
Board  of  Trustees,  of  which  their  colleagues  were  al- 
ready members  under  the  charter  of  18 12. 

This  completed  the  change  in  the  constitution  of 
the  College,  and  made  an  essential  difference  in  its 
mode  of  operation.  In  effect,  the  professors  became 
the  governing,  as  well  as  the  teaching  body  of  the  in- 
stitution. As  they  were  often  sufficient  in  number  to 
form  a  majority  of  the  Board,  or  even  a  quorum  by 
themselves,  and  as  they  were  necessarily  more  con- 
versant than  most  of  their  associates  with  the  situa- 
tion of  affairs,  their  influence  must  predominate  in 
shaping  the  policy  and  regulating  the  concerns  of  the 
College. 

One  of  the  first  enterprises,  under  the  new  regime, 
was  that  of  obtaining  a  different  site  and  building  for 


32 


THE    COLLEGE   IN 


the  College  ;  a  committee  having  been  appointed  for 
that  purpose  in  January,  1813.  The  reason  assigned 
for  this  action,  in  the  annual  report  to  the  Regents, 
was  that  the  building  in  Pearl  (formerly  Magazine) 
street   was  not  only  small  and  insecure,  but  "  ineligi- 


The   City   Hall   Park  and  Vicinity, 

in  the  early  part  of  the  century  ;  from  an  engraved  Map  of  the  City  of  New  York, 
by  Thos.  H.  Poppleton,  city  surveyor,  1817.  In  the  Whitney  collection  of  en- 
gravings, Columbia  College  Library. 

I,    City    Hall;    2,    Bridewell;    3,    Old    Almshouse;    4,    Brick    Presbyterian 
Church  ;   5,  Park  Theatre  ;    6,  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons. 


bly  situated."  As  this  ineligible  situation  was  in 
close  proximity  to  Broadway  and  within  a  few  hun- 
dred yards  of  the  New  York  Hospital,  it  seems  likely 
that  a  few  years'  longer  experience  would  have  de- 
monstrated its  advantage  as  a  location  for  the  College, 
and  justified  the  wisdom  of  its  former  purchase.      But 


BARCLAY  STREET. 


Zl 


m 


COtMEGE  CUfTPHYSICIANS  AND  StMCEOTSSJ 


^                                  /$ 

>|                  fr 

^ 

The   College   Building,  no.    3    Barclay   Street. 
1813-1817. 


From  an  engraving  in   the  American   Medical  and   Philosophical   Register, 
New  York,  1814. 


34  THE   COLLEGE   LN 

at  that  time  it  may  have  appeared  too  remote  from 
the  thickly  settled  portion  of  the  city,  and  was  per- 
haps inconvenient  from  the  want  of  pavement  and 
sidewalks.  At  all  events,  the  recommendation  of  the 
committee  was  adopted,  the  Pearl  street  property 
was  sold,  and  the  College  purchased  the  lot  and  build- 
ing at  number  3  Barclay  street.  This  lot  was  on  the 
north  side  of  the  street,  near  Broadway,  and  meas- 
ured twenty-five  feet  in  width  by  seventy-five  feet  in 
depth.  The  building,  which  was  originally  a  brick 
store-house,  twenty-five  feet  wide  by  thirty-eight  feet 
deep,  was  so  altered  and  repaired  as  to  convert  it 
into  a  medical  college  with  two  lecture  rooms.  It 
was  three  stories  in  height,  with  a  terminal  balustrade 
and  a  cupola,  surmounted  by  a  statue  of  Apollo,  to 
indicate  the  scientific  and  medical  character  of  the 
institution.  It  was  occupied  at  the  opening  of  the 
seventh  session,  on  the  first  Monday  of  November, 
1813. 

These  provisions  for  greater  space  and  more 
varied  instruction  were  soon  followed  by  a  larger 
attendance.  At  the  eighth  session  (18 14-15)  the 
class  numbered  one  hundred  and  twenty-one ;  at 
the  ninth  (1815-16),  one  hundred  and  forty-eight; 
and  at  the  tenth  (1816-17),  one  hundred  and  ninety- 
two.  This  increase,  which  was  quite  beyond  all  for- 
mer anticipations,  made  it  necessary  to  provide  still 
further  accommodation  ;  and  in  181 7  the  building  was 
doubled  in  size  by  extending  it  over  the  adjoining  lot 
on  the  west,  giving  it  a  frontage  of  fifty  feet  on  Bar- 


B ARC  LA  Y  STREET. 


35 


clay  street.  It  was  fitted  up  with  thi'ee  lecture 
rooms  ;  a  chemical  lecture  room  on  the  first  floor ; 
a  hall,  or  general  lecture  and  audience  room,  on  the 
second  floor  ;  and  an  anatomical  theatre  on  the  third 
floor.  Thus  enlarged,  the  building  continued  to  serve 
as  the  domicile  of  the  College  for  the  next  twenty 
years. 


The  College   Building  in   Barclay  Street, 

after  its  enlargement. 

1817-1837. 

From  a  print  in  the  Picture  of  Neiv  York  and  Stranger'' s  Guide, 

New  York,  1828. 

Soon  after  the  completion  of  these  alterations  an 
additional  lot  of  land,  immediately  north  of  the  Col- 
lege, extending  through  to  Park  Place,  was  secured 
by  the  purchase  of  its  unexpired  lease  of  twenty-four 
years  ;  thus  affording  access  to  the  College  from  the 
rear.  At  a  meeting  of  the  Trustees  in  October,  1817, 
a  resolution  was  adopted  declaring  it  to  be  "  of  the 
greatest  importance  to  the  safety  and  convenience  of 


36  THE   COLLEGE  LN 

this  school  to  possess  the  said  lot ;  "  and,  the  necessary- 
funds  having  been  advanced  by  the  professor  of  anatomy, 
Dr.  Wright  Post,  the  purchase  was  made  and  reported 
at  an  adjourned  meeting  of  the  Board  in  the  following 
month.  At  the  same  time  it  was  declared  expedient  to 
erect  upon  this  lot,  in  the  rear  of  the  College,  "  a  build- 
ing to  answer  the  purposes  of  a  stable  ;  "  and  a  com- 
mittee wa^  appointed  to  carry  the  plan  into  execution. 

The  expediency  of  securing  an  additional  entrance 
for  the  "  safety  and  convenience  "  of  the  College  was 
no  doubt  owing  to  the  existing  exigencies  and  diffi- 
culties in  the  supply  of  subjects  for  dissection.  The 
legal  sources  of  this  supply  were  at  that  time  very 
inadequate;  and  it  is  more  than  likely,  from  various 
allusions,  that  the  building  intended  to  "  answer  the 
purposes  of  a  stable  "  was  mainly  useful  in  connection 
with  nocturnal  expeditions  in  the  interest  of  the  ana- 
tomical department. 

Another  acquisition,  then  thought  to  be  very  im- 
portant, was  that  of  the  "  Elgin  Botanic  Garden." 
This  garden  was  the  property  of  Dr.  Hosack,*  who 
had  purchased  the  land  from  the  city,  and  placed  it 
under  cultivation  as  a  botanical  preserve.  In  the 
American  Medical  and  Philosophical  Register'  for 
July,  1811,  it  is  described  as  an  enclosure  of  about 
twenty  acres,  "  on   the  Middle  Road,"  f  a  little  over 

*  It  was  named  from  the  town  of  Elgin,  in  the  north  of  Scotland,  the 
birthplace  of  Dr.  Hosack's  father. 

\  This  was  a  road  running  in  a  northerly  direction,  above  the  pres- 
ent site  of  Madison  Square,  in  the  region  between  the  "  Boston  Post 
Road  "  on  the  east  and  the  "  Bloomingdale  Road  "  on  the  west. 


BARCLAY  STREET  ^ 

three  miles  from  the  city ;  and  is  illustrated  by  an  en- 
graved picture,  showing  its  lawns,  foot-paths,  shrubs, 
flowers,  trees,  and  conservatories.  Its  location  is  now 
included  between  Fifth  and  Sixth  Avenues,  from  For- 
ty-seventh to  Fifty-first  streets  ;  the  valuable  lease- 
hold property  of  Columbia  College. 

Dr.  Hosack,  finding  the  garden  too  expensive  an 
establishment  for  private  maintenance,  proposed  to 
transfer  its  ownership  to  the  State  of  New  York,  for 
public  instruction  in  botany  and  materia  medica ;  and 
the  County  Medical  Society  adopted  a  memorial  set- 
ting forth  its  advantages  as  an  aid  to  medical  educa- 
tion, and  recommending  its  acquisition  for  that  object. 
The  proposal  was  agreed  to.  The  Botanic  Garden 
was  purchased,  under  an  act  of  the  legislature,  for 
seventy-four  thousand  dollars,  and  assigned  to  the 
keeping  of  the  Regents  of  the  University,  as  the 
guardians  of  educational  interests  in  the  State.  The 
Regents,  having  no  funds  especially  provided  for 
maintaining  the  garden,  placed  it  under  the  care  of 
the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  "  to  be  by 
them  kept  in  a  state  of  preservation,  and  in  a  condi- 
tion fit  for  all  the  medical  purposes,  free  of  expense, 
under  the  immediate  inspection  of  the  regents  resi- 
dent in  the  city  of  New  York,  and  that  the  said  garden 
be  at  all  times  open  to  the  admission  of  such  medical 
students  as  may  resort  thereto  for  the  purpose  of 
acquiring  Botanical  Science."  In  the  college  circular 
for  1811  it  was  announced  that  "the  Botanic  Garden 
having  been  purchased  by  the  State  and  placed  under 


38 


THE   COLLEGE   IN 


\<k\ 


the  direction  of  the  College,  the  students  of  Botany 
will  have  an  opportunity  of  visiting  it  whenever  they 
think  proper,  and  of  examining  the  many  rare  and 
valuable  plants  which  it  contains." 

But  no  sooner  was  this  desirable  establishment  in 
the  possession  of  the  College,  than  it  became  a  source 
of  continual  annoyance.  The  cisterns,  conserva- 
tories and  heating  flues  needed  immediate  repair.  A 
gardener  was  appointed  under  contract,  to  keep  the 
grounds  in  proper  condition  ; ,  and  there  were  dis- 
agreements between  him  and  the  College,  as  to  how 
far  each  had  fulfilled  their  respective  engagements. 
Successive  reports,  for  the  next  few  years,  showed 
the  garden  to  be  "  much  deteriorated,"  fences  and 
cisterns  out  of  repair,  roads  and  paths  in  bad  con- 
dition, and  many  of  the  plants  lost  or  damaged. 
There  seemed  little  prospect  of  making  the  enter- 
prise a  success ;  and  moreover  it  was  found,  no  doubt, 
that  medical  students  in  Barclay  street  had  something 
else  to  do  than  to  make  excursions  to  the  Botanic 
Garden,  for  the  purpose  of  examining  "  rare  and  valu- 
able medicinal  plants."  Finally,  the  ownership.. of  the 
land  having  been  transferred,  under  certain  conditions, 
by  act  of  the  legislature,  to  Columbia  College,  a  com- 
mittee was  appointed,  in  1816,  to  "  wait  on  the  Trustees 
of  Columbia  College  and  deliver  to  them  the  posses- 
sion of  the  said  Botanic  Garden." 

This  failure  of  the  garden  as  a  means  of  medical 
instruction  can  hardly  be  attributed  to  any  fault  of  the 
College.     The  most  promising  plans  for  improvement 


BARCLAY  STREET.  39 

sometimes  turn  out  differently  from  what  was  anti- 
cipated ;  as  they  are  Hable  to  be  affected  by  various 
unforeseen  conditions,  the  operation  of  which  can  only 
be  learned  from  experience.  It  is  probable  that  none 
of  those  formerly  interested  in  the  Botanic  Garden 
had  any  idea  of  the  service  it  would  finally  render  in 
the  cause  of  education,  as  a  source  of  princely  re- 
venue to  Columbia  College. 

The  second  president  of  the  College  of  Physicians 
and  Surgeons,  Dr.  Samuel  Bard,  was  everywhere  re- 
garded with  esteem  and  consideration.  He  had  for- 
merly been  professor  of  the  practice  of  physic  in 
Columbia  College,  dean  of  the  medical  faculty  in  the 
same  institution,  and  visiting  physician  to  the  New 
York  Hospital.  At  the  time  of  his  appointment  as 
president  he  was  sixty-nine  years  of  age  and  no 
longer  a  resident  of  the  city  ;  having  retired  from 
practice,  and  spending  most  of  the  time  at  his  country 
seat,  at  Hyde  Park  on  the  banks  of  the  Hudson.  It 
does  not  appear  that  he  performed  any  active  service 
in  the  College,  beyond  that  of  presiding  at  commence- 
ment exercises  and  delivering  an  occasional  address. 
But  his  name  was  considered  a  valuable  guaranty  for 
the  character  and  prospects  of  the  institution,  and  he 
remained  its  president  until  his  death  in  1821.  His 
successor  in  the  presidential  office  was  Dr.  Wright 
Post,  the  professor  of  anatomy  and  physiology. 

The  most  prominent  man  in  the  affairs  of  the  Col- 
lege at  this  time  was  David  Hosack.  He  was  ap- 
pointed professor  at  its  organization  in  1807,  but  for 


40  THE   COLLEGE   IN 

some  reason  did  not  retain  his  position  after  the  first 
year.     He  returned  to  it  in  1811,  and  became  mainly 
instrumental  in  bringing-  into  the  faculty  his  former  as- 
sociates of  Columbia  College.     He  was  in  the  prime 
of  life  and  distinguished  as  a  practitioner.     His  ardent 
temperament  and  undoubting  self-reliance  led  him  to 
the  front  in  many  controversial  discussions  ;   and  his 
views  were  always  maintained  with  force  and  ability. 
He  was  especially  popular  as  a  teacher  ;  and  his  lect- 
ure hour  is  said   to   have  been   awaited    by  all  with 
eager  expectation.     His  sonorous  voice  and  impres- 
sive manner,  and  the  changing  expression  of  his  face, 
gestures  and  utterance,  held  the  attention  of  his  class 
and  gave    them   an    instructive  entertainment    rather 
than  the   didactic   monotony  of  a  lecture.     In   other 
directions  he  was  equally  active.     He*  served  as  editor 
of  the  American  Medical  and  Philosophical  Register  / 
he  was  for  many  years  visiting  physician  to  the  New 
York  Hospital  ;  he  was  one  of  the  founders  and  active 
members  of  the  New  York  Historical  Society  ;   and  his 
weekly  evening  receptions  were  the  resort  for  all  the 
social  and  literary  celebrities  of  the  day.     He  had  an 
extensive  acquaintance  beyond  the  circle  of  his  profes- 
sion, and  he  attracted  attention  from  all  by  the  vigor- 
ous and  enterprising  qualities  of  his  mind  and  disposi- 
tion. 

The  professor  of  Surgery,  Dr.  Valentine  Mott, 
who  was  then  about  thirty  years  of  age  and  already 
rising  into  eminence,  soon  evinced  a  degree  of  ca- 
pacity which  made  him  the  most  celebrated  operator 


BARCLAY  STREET.  41 

in  the  United  States.  He  was  the  pioneer  in  various 
exploits  which  were  then  uncertain  ventures  in  the 
field  of  operative  surgery,  but  which  his  carefulness 
and  dexterity  of  manipulation  almost  invariably  car- 
ried to  success.  His  ligature  of  the  arteria  innomi- 
nata,  in  18 18,  is  said  to  have  made  "an  epoch  in  the 
life  of  the  operator,  and  an  era  in  the  history  of  sur- 
gery." The  ligature  of  the  primitive  iliac,  the  removal 
of  the  entire  clavicle,  and  the  resection  of  the  inferior 
maxilla,  extended  still  further  his  reputation  for  origi-  • 
nality  and  skill.  In  the  frequency  and  gravity  of  his 
operations  he  outranked  all  his  contemporaries.  He 
made  the  ligature  of  the  common  carotid  artery  forty- 
six  times,  and  lithotomy  more  than  a  hundred  and  A 
sixty  times.  In  the  opinion  of  his  biographer  he  per- 
formed "  a  greater  number  of  important  and  capital  ( 
operations  than  any  other  surgeon  who  ever  lived," 
and  for  more  than  half  a  century  his  reputation  was 
"  unequalled  by  that  of  any  of  his  competitors  in 
America,  and  scarcely  surpassed  by  that  of  the  most 
illustrious  surgeons  in  Europe." 

Not  the  least  remarkable  member  of  the  faculty 
was  Dr.  John  W.  Francis,  registrar  and  professor  of 
materia  medica.  He  had  been  the  pupil  of  Dr.  Ho- 
sack,  with  whom  he  was  associated  in  business,  and 
for  whom  he  entertained  a  strong  feeling  of  admira- 
tion. He  was  a  devoted  adherent  of  the  new  colleo-e 
organization,  and  served  it  to  the  best  of  his  ability, 
both  as  registrar  and  professor.  Beside  his  profes- 
sional attainments  his  talent  was  largely  in  the  direc- 


42  ^  THE   COLLEGE   LN 

tion  of  general  literature  ;  and  both  in  his  lectures  and 
essays  he  was  fond  of  "  discursive  utterances  and 
amusing  conceits."  He  delighted  in  historic  reminis- 
cences. His  sketches  and  memoirs,  though  some- 
times wanting  in  accuracy  of  detail,  are  full  of  enter- 
tainment ;  and  his  description  of  persons  and  things 
in  the  earlier  half  of  the  century  forms  a  favorite  vol- 
ume in  the  publications  of  the  New  York  Historical 
Society.  He  was  among  the  founders  and  presidents 
of  the  New  York  Academy  of  Medicine,  and  was 
president  of  the  medical  board  of  Bellevue  Hospital 
from  the  date  of  its  organization. 

Dr.  Wright  Post,  appointed  president  of  the 
College  in  1822,  was  at  that  time  fifty-six  years  of 
age.  He  had  been  professor  for  thirty  years  ;  first  in 
the  medical  faculty  of  Columbia  College  and  after- 
ward in  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons. 
For  nearly  the  same  time  he  had  been  visiting  sur- 
geon to  the  New  York  Hospital ;  and  he  was  every- 
where esteemed  for  his  skill  as  an  operator,  his  fair- 
ness and  delicacy  in  consultation,  and  his  solicitude 
for  the  welfare  of  his  patients.  For  twenty  years  he 
was  "the  undisputed  head  of  the  profession  in  this 
city ;  "  attaining  in  no  ordinary  degree  the  reward  of 
his  labor  in  rank,  wealth  and  reputation.  In  the  esti- 
mation of  his  contemporaries  his  success  was  due  to 
the  general  excellence  of  his  mental  and  moral  quali- 
ties, rather  than  to  any  marked  endowment  or  pecu- 
liar gift.  He  had  a  refined  and  delicate  physical 
organization,  with  a  cool  head,  more  judgment  than 


BARCLAY  STREET.  43 

imagination,  and  a  manner  which  was  always  quiet 
and  unobtrusive.  In  the  lecture  room  his  delivery- 
was  simple  and  natural ;  and  he  excelled  in  the  pre- 
sentation of  truths  attainable  by  patient  industry. 
Notwithstanding  the  prominent  position  which  he  so 
long  occupied,  he  seems  to  have  been  less  deeply  in- 
volved than  many  of  his  colleagues  in  the  disputes 
and  animosities  of  medical  politics  ;  and  he  retained 
without  interruption  the  friendship  and  respect  even 
of  those  whose  interests  differed  from  his  own. 

Under  these  auspices  the  College  became  every 
year  more  widely  known  and  more  largely  attended. 
A  committee  of  the  Regents  reported  it,  in  1820,  in  a 
state  of  "rapid  advancement."  Its  class  in  that  year 
exceeded  two  hundred,  being  larger  than  at  any  for- 
mer period;  and  in  1822,  according  to  a  report  of  the 
Regents,  it  had  "  an  increased  number  of  students  / 
from  the  most  distant  parts  of  the  United  States."         // 

But  notwithstanding  this  apparent  prosperity  there 
were  at  work  causes  of  disturbance,  which  already  im- 
peded the  operation  of  the  College,  and  which  soon 
grew  to  such  proportions  as  to  threaten  it  with  dis- 
aster. The  difficulty  began,  in  18 19,  with  complaints 
from  the  Medical  Society  of  the  County  of  New  York. 
After  some  correspondence,  these  complaints  were 
laid  before  the  State  Medical  Society  and  the  Regents 
of  the  University.  There  were  replies  and  counter- 
charges from  the  professors,  committees  of  investiga- 
tion, and  hearings  before  the  Board  of  Regents  ;  until 
the  dispute  culminated,  in   1826,  with  the  withdrawal 


44  THE   COLLEGE  LN 

of  all  the  members  of  the  faculty,  and  the  ap2oiritment 
of  new  professors  in  their  place. 

At  that  time  the  element  of  personality  entered 
largely  into  all  discussions  of  a  public  nature ;  and 
there  is  evidence  that  it  had  its  share  in  the  college 
controversy.  The  members  of  the  medical  society,  not 
directly  connected  with  the  College,  were  dissatisfied 
with  its  management  by  the  faculty.  They  declared 
that  this  small  body  of  men,  whose  talents  and  capac- 
ity they  freely  acknowledged,  had  formed  among  them- 
selves a  sort  of  "  learned  aristocracy"  with  its  "train 
of  favoritism  ;  "  and  that  they  disregarded  too  plainly 
the  claims  and  opinions  of  the  profession.  Under 
their  direction  the  College  had  become  a  source  of 
"  exclusive  privileges  and  immunities,  to  be  exercised 
for  their  sole  benefit;"  and  instead  of  serving,  as  it 
ought,  for  the  general  advancement  of  medicine  in  the 
city  and  State,  it  was  used  to  promote  the  private 
interest  of  its  possessors,  and  to  supply  honors  and 
emoluments  for  their  immediate  friends  and  associates. 

Beside  the  foregoing,  more  serious  charges  were 
brought  against  the  faculty.  The  large  classes  in  at- 
tendance, and  especially  the  great  number  of  grad- 
uates, instead  of  showing  a  wholesome  growth  of  the 
College,  were  regarded  as  signs  of  its  det^erioration, 
due  to  a  culpable  laxity  in  the  examinations.  It  was 
asserted  that  students  had  been  oraduated  before  at- 
taining  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  ;  that  some  had 
received  their  diplomas  after  less  than  two  years' 
study ;  that  others  had  been  graduated  without  ever 


BARCLAY  STREET.  45 

having  attended  lectures  in  the  Colleg-e  ;  and  that  it 
had  even  been  announced  in  the  circulars  that  no 
requisite  for  graduation  would  be  expected,  other  than 
that  of  a  satisfactory  examination.  This,  it  was  said, 
was  nothing  less  than  an  "  invitation  for  full  classes," 
intended  to  benefit  the  lecturers  in  the  institution,  at 
the  expense  of  its  character  and  usefulness. 

Another  cause  of  complaint  was  the  large  amount 
of  fees  exacted  from  students.  In  the  earlier  years  of 
the  College  a  definite  and  moderate  sum  had  been 
fixed  as  the  price  for  each  lecture  ticket,  a  liberal  al- 
lowance being  made  for  those  who  should  take  the 
entire  course ;  and  the  president  of  each  county  medi- 
cal society  was  invited  to  send  to  the  College  one  stu- 
dent freje  of  expense.  But  since  then  a  different  policy 
had  been  pursued.  The  lecture  fees  had  been  so  in- 
creased as  to  make  the  expense  of  medical  education 
greater  than  it  ought  to  be ;  and  the  privilege  of  send- 
ing a  free  student,  formerly  accorded  to  the  county 
medical  societies,  had  been  revoked.  In  some  in- 
stances the  mzQ-oi  pluralism  was  said  to  exist  in  the 
professorial  church  ;  one  professor  holding  two,  or 
even  three  professorships  at  the  same  time,  and  re- 
quiring those  who  wished  for  either  ticket  to  pay  for 
all.  Lastly,  various  additional  fees  had  been  estab- 
lished, making  the  total  expense  of  a  college  course 
much  greater  than  was  originally  intended. 

All  these  evils  were  attributed  to  the  control  of  the 
College  being  vested  in  the  professors.  They  were 
subject,  it  is  true,  to  the  Regents  of  the  University, 


46  ~  THE   COLLEGE  LN 

whose  consent  was  necessary  to  the  adoption  of  by- 
laws and  the  granting  of  degrees  ;  and  who  held  the 
appointing  power  for  both  professors  and  trustees. 
But  as  professors  and  trustees  were  now  practically 
the  same,  and  formed  the  sole  channel  of  official  com- 
munication with  the  Regents,  their  interests  and  influ- 
ence were  unavoidably  paramount,  and  excluded  the 
governing  body  from  other  sources  of  information. 
They  were,  therefore,  accountable  for  the  alleged 
abuses  in  the  management  of  the  College,  and  for  the 
public  discredit  into  which  it  had  unhappily  fallen. 

On  the  other  hand,  it  was  maintained  by  the  pro- 
fessors that  these  attacks  came  from  the  jealousy  of 
disappointed  rivals,  who  had  desired  for  themselves  a 
share  in  the  honors  of  the  College  and  were  envious 
of  their  more  successful  competitors.  They  claimed 
that  the  teachers  in  the  several  departments  must  be 
the  most  competent  judges  of  a  student's  qualification 
for  his  degree ;  and  that  neither  time  of  study,  nor  any 
other  technical  requirement,  could  supply  a  criterion 
equal  to  that  of  a  professional  examination.     As  to  the 

'  expense  of  the  college  course,  they  denied  that  this 
was  excessive  ;  and  the  increasing  classes  in  attend- 
ance showed  that  students  did  not  consider  it  burden- 

/  some.  To  reduce  the  income  of  professors  below  the 
standard  of  respectability  would  not  be  for  the  interest 
of  the  College ;  which  should  be  able  to  command  the 
services  of  the  best  talent  in  the  profession.     They 

\  adduced  a  variety  of  reasons  to  justify  the  policy  which 
they  had  pursued ;  and  they  protested  against  the  as- 


BARCLAY  STREET.  47 

sertions  and  inferences  of  their  accusers  as  groundless 
or  distorted  exagfoferations. 

The  views  of  the  two  parties  as  to  their  respective 
rights  and  duties  were  so  divergent  that  no  basis  of 
accommodation  could  be  reached,  and  the  matter  was 
referred  to  higher  authority,  A  committee  was  ap- 
pointed by  the  County  Medical  Society  "  to  inquire 
into  the  condition  of  the  College  "  and  report  thereon 
to  the  society.  The  report,  which  embodied  the 
charges  and  criticisms  above  detailed,  was  followed 
by  a  memorial  addressed  to  the  Regents  of  the  Uni- 
versity, setting  forth  the  causes  of  dissatisfaction,  and 
praying  that  the  College  might  be  so  reorganized  as 
to  exclude  the  professors  from  the  Board  of  Trustees. 
It  was  also  recommended  that  the  new  Board  be  com- 
posed of  physicians  resident  in  the  city,  together  with 
the  president  of  the  College,  the  president  of  the 
County  Medical  Society,  and  the  president  of  the 
State  Medical  Society  ;  and  that  future  vacancies  in 
the  Board  be  filled  by  the  County  Medical  Society. 

Early  in  1820  this  memorial  was  presented  to  the 
Regents.  It  was  urged  upon  the  attention  of  the 
Board  with  personal  and  documentary  evidence,  and 
was  supported  by  a  petition  from  many  of  the  practi- 
tioners in  New  York.  The  professors  were  repre- 
sented by  a  delegation  from  their  own  number,  aided 
by  the  advice  and  co-operation  of  Mr.  Emmet,  the 
legal  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 

The  Regents  were  by  no  means  disposed  to  admit 
all  the  charges  and  recommendations  of  the  medical 


48  THE   COLLEGE   LN 

society,  and  they  deprecated  the  apparent  feehng  of 
hostihty  toward  the  College.  But  they  recognized 
the  existence  of  defects  in  its  organization,  and 
were  convinced  of  the  necessity  for  some  remedial 
change.  Especially  the  opinion  advanced  by  the 
society,  as  to  the  bad  effect  of  combining  in  a  single 
body  the  functions  of  professors  and  _  trustees,  was 
thought  to  be  "  well  founded  ;  "  and  it  was  decided  to 
separate  them  in  future,  so  that  trustees  might  no 
longer  be  "  liable,  merely  from  their  situation  as  pro- 
fessors, to  the  suspicion  of  personal  interest  in  the 
adoption  of  regulations."  The  professors  who  were 
already  members  of  the  Board  were  not  displaced ; 
but  an  ordinance  was  passed  to  the  effect  that  "  upon 
the  death,  resignation  or  removal  from  office  of  the 
'present  professors,  or  of  any  of  them,  no  person  or 
persons  to  be  appointed  as  his  or  their  successor  or 
successors,  shall  be  also  eligible  to  the  office  of  trus- 
tee ;  provided  always  that  the  president  and  vice 
/president  of  the  said  College,  for  the  time  being,  shall 
■  ex-officiis  be  trustees  thereof."  As  the  two  officers 
above  named  were  eligible  from  the  faculty,  and  were 
usually  selected  from  that  body,  this  secured  for  the 
professors  a  virtual  representation  in  the  Board  of 
Trustees. 

The  Regents  furthermore  fixed  the  lecture  fees 
and  other  expenses  of  tuition  at  a  definite  rate,  and 
required  that  each  candidate  for  graduation  must  have 
studied  medicine  for  three  years  with  some  respect- 
able practitioner,  and  must  have  attended  a  full  course 


BARCLAY  STREET.  49 

of  lectures^  at  not  less  than  two  winter  sessions. 
Lastly,  they  filled  the  existing  vacancies  in  the  Board 
of  TnJ-SieeaJjy  the,  appointment  of  a  number  of  resi- 
dent practitioners,  most  of  whom  had  been  active  in 
furthering  the  views  of  the  medical  society. 

These  measures,  it  was  thought,  would  rectify  the 
alleged  faults  in  the  administration  of  the  College,  and 
restore  peace  by  removing  the  causes  of  complaint. 
But  this  proved  a  delusive  expectation.  The  antagon- 
ism of  individuals,  already  somewhat  pronounced,  was 
rather  increased  than  diminished  by  bringing  them  in 
contact  with  each  other ;  and  it  was  soon  apparent 
that  the  discord  had  only  been  transferred  from  the 
outside  to  the  inside  of  the  college  organization. 
Previously,  the  contest  was  between  the  medical 
society  and  the  professors ;  now  it  was  between  the 
professors  and  the  trustees.  The  professors,  who 
were  no  longer  a  majority  of  the  Board,  found  them- 
selves associated  in  council  with  their  former  oppo- 
nents; and  the  newly  appointed  members  believed  that 
the  needed  reforms  had  been  only  half  accomplished. 
Before  long  this  division  of  sentiment  became  matter 
of  public  notoriety.  It  found  expression  in  the  printed 
notices  and  circulars  of  the  College,  and  it  was 
brought  to  the  attention  of  the  Regents  in  repeated 
memorials,  reports  and  protests  from  both  sides.  The 
Regents,  instead  of  being  discouraged  by  the  ap- 
parent failure  of  their  efforts,  were  again  ready  to 
give  the  subject  patient  consideration.  It  is  evident, 
from  their  proceedings,  that  they  felt  a  deep  interest 
4 


50  THE   COLLEGE   LN 

in  the  welfare  of  the  College,  and  spared  no  pains  to 
compose  its  difficulties.  In  April,  1825,  they  ap- 
pointed a  committee  "to  visit  the  College  of  Physi- 
cians and  Surgeons  in  the  city  of  New  York,  to  the 
end  that  the  matters  in  controversy  between  the  trus- 
tees and  professors  thereof,  and  the  affairs  of  said 
College  generally,  may  be  more  fully  investigated." 

The  members  of  this  committee  performed  their 
duty  with  unwearied  fidelity.  They_visited  the  Col- 
lege in  the  summer  vacation,  and  invited  the  trustees 
and  professors  to  meet  with  them  for  a  free  inter- 
change of  views,  continuing  the  sessions  daily  for  an 
entire  week  ;  and  they_embodied  the  result  in  a  re- 
port to  the  Regents  covering  fifty-four  manuscript 
pages. 

The  report  declares  that  "it  is  due  to  the  profes- 
sors and  trustees  to  say  that,  however  much  they  dif- 
fer from  each  other  in  the  arguments  urged  or  in  the 
conclusions  drawn  from  the  facts  inquired  after,  yet  in 
the  whole  course  of  the  business  the  conduct  of  each 
was  characterized  by  an  openness  of  communication 
and  an  integrity  of  manner  which  gave  assurance  of 
the  fairness  of  the  motives  of  each ;  and  that  their 
conclusions,  maintained  oftentimes  with  vehement 
warmth,  were  urged  from  a  conscientious  belief  in 
their  correctness,  and  that  they  were  essential  to  the 
welfare  and  advancement  of  the  College."  The  com- 
mittee found  the  most  damaging  of  the  accusations 
to  be  unsustained  ;  and  they  relieved  the  professors 
from  any  serious   imputation  on  their  personal  integ- 


BARCLAY  STREET.  5 1 

rity.  The  existence  of  either  partiahty  or  oppression 
in  the  examination  of  candidates  appeared  to  be  an 
improbable  inference  ;  and  there  was  no  suspicion  of 
misappHcation  or  maladministration  of  the  college 
funds.  But  the  controversy  had  nevertheless  de- 
stroyed^ that  "  union  of  sentiment  and  concert  of  ac- 
tion "  which  ought  to  exist  between  professors  and 
trustees ;  and  it  had  assumed  a  form  which  would 
hardly  admit  of  cordial  reconciliation.  It  appears 
that,  in  the  minds  of  the  committee,  this  unfortunate 
discordance  was  due  in  great  measure  to  the  existence 
of  "  professional  rivalries  ;  "  and  they  were  of  opinion 
that  it  couJd_only  be  cured  by  so  changing  the  mem- 
bership of-the  -Board  of  Trustees  that  it  should  no 
longer  consist  wholly  of  medical  practitioners. 

The  Regents  adopted  this  recommendation ;  and 
at  their  next  meeting  an  ordinance  was  passed  in  the 
following  terms  : 

"Be  it  therefore  ordained  by  the  Regents  of  the 
University  of  the  State  of  New  York,  that  all  vacan- 
cies now  existing,  or  which  shall  hereafter  happen,  in 
the  board  of  trustees  of  the  College  of  Physicians  and 
Surgeons  in  the  city  of  New  York,  shall  be  filled  by 
the  appointment  thereto  of  persons  who  are  not  of  the 
medical  profession  ;  until  the  number  of  such  persons, 
so  to  be  appointed,  shall  constitute  at  least  thirteen  of 
said  board." 

This  provision  has  remained  a  fundamental  part 
of  the  college  organization  from  January,  1826,  to  the 
present  day.     The   wisdom   of  its  framers   has  been 


52  THE   COLLEGE  LN 

justified  by  the  experience  of  many  years  ;  during 
which  time  no  serious  effervescence  has  occurred,  Hke 
that  which  formerly  endangered  the  prosperity  of  the 
institution.  The  government  of  the  College  preserves 
its  professional  character  through  the  medical  mem- 
bers of  the  Board  of  Trustees  ;  and  it  has  the  aid  and 
counsel  of  capable  men  in  other  walks  of  life,  who  can 
p-ive  to  the  Colleo-e  the  benefit  of  their  varied  informa- 
tion,  and  who  are  free  from  participation  or  interest  in 
the  rivalries  of  medical  ambition.  For_jKU)xe  thanLiLalf 
a  century_the  practical  operation  of  this  plan  has 
answered  all  reasonable  expectations. 

Nevertheless,  the  pacification  of  the  College  was 
not  accomplished  without  a  further  struggle.  The 
faculty  at  this  time  was  considerably  smaller  than 
when  it  received  the  accession  of  professors  from  Co- 
lumbia College.  Resignations,  removals,  and  deaths 
had  reduced  its  number  to  six ;  but  these  embraced 
the  most  important  and  influential  of  its  members. 
In  the  course  of  the  controversy  they  had  demand- 
ed, as  an  essential  measure  for  the  preservation 
of  the  College,  the  entire  renovation  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees,  by  the  removal  of  all  its  members  and  their 
replacement  by  non-medical  men.  They  were  not 
satisfied  with  the  gradual  and  partial  change  adopted 
by  the  Regents ;  and  they  intimated  plainly  that  they 
could  not  retain  their  positions  unless  it  were  made 
complete.  But  the  committee  of  investigation  had 
acquitted  the  trustees,  as  well  as  the  professors,  of 
culpable    malfeasance ;    and    reported    that,    in    their 


BARCLAY  STREET.  53 

opinion,  "if  the  Regents  possess  the  power,  it  ought 
not  to  be  exercised  to  remove  all  or  any  of  the  trus- 
tees." The  professors  still  hoped  to  accomplish  their 
object  by  carrying  it  before  the  legislature.  But  this 
also  proved  a  failure  ;  and  when  the  question  was 
finally  decided  against  them,  they  sent  to  the  Board 
of  Regents  their  formal  resignations,  April  nth,  1826. 

This  resignation,  however,  was  by  no  means  a  re- 
tirement from  the  field ;  it  was  only  a  change  of  base 
for  future  operations.  The  men  who  had  been  promi- 
nent and  successful  teachers  for  so  many  years  could 
not  be  expected  to  surrender  their  occupation  as  well 
as  their  appointments.  They  believed  that  they  had 
given  to  the  College  as  much  as  the  College  had 
conferred  upon  them ;  and  that  they  might  carry  with 
them  elsewhere  the  prestige  of  their  undisputed  abil- 
ity. They  determined  to  organize  at  once  a  new 
medical  school,  which  should  be  the  rival  of  the  old 
one,  and  in  which  they  could  exercise  their  functions 
as  professors,  unimpeded  by  the  control  of  a  hostile 
authority.  For  this  purpose  they  obtained  the  assent 
of  Rutgers  College,  in  New  Jersey,  to  the  formation 
of  a  medical  department  officially  connected  with  that 
institution.  They  fitted  up,  at  their  own  expense,  a 
building  in  Duane  street ;  where,  in  the  autumn  of 
the  same  year,  they  inaugurated  their  course  of  in- 
struction under  the  name  of  the  Rutgers  Medical 
College. 

But  the  new  enterprise,  undertaken  with  such  per- 
sistent energy,  failed  to   meet  with  the  desired  sue-- 


54  THE  COLLEGE  LN  BARCLAY  STREET. 

cess.  The  resignation  of  professors  from  a  medical 
school,  whatever  their  superiority  of  talent,  does  not 
always  result  in  its  injury  or  downfall.  It  is  apt  to 
turn  out  that  there  are  others  who  are  able  to  fill  the 
chairs  they  have  left,  and  who  can  still  maintain  the 
credit  and  prosperity  of  the  institution.  That  is  what 
happened  in  the  present  case.  The  Regents  of  the 
University,  at  a  special  meeting  in  July,  1826,  ap- 
pointed for  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons 
a  new  corps  of  professors,  who  long  held  their  places 
with  distinguished  honor,  and  of  whom  three  became 
afterward  presidents  of  the  institution.  The  Rutgers 
Medical  College  had  an  existence  of  only  four  annual 
sessions. 


CHAPTER    III. 

REORGANIZATION    OF    THE    COLLEGE. 

ITS    DIFFICULTIES,    PERSEVERANCE    AND    SUCCESS. 

1826-1837. 

The  constitution  of  the  faculty  under  the  new  or- 
ganization was  as  follows  : 

THE    FACULTY    IN     1 826. 

John  Watts,  M.D.,  President. 

John  Augustine  Smith,  M.D.,  Professor  of  Anatomy 
and  Physiology. 

James  F.  Dana,  M.D.,  Professor  of  Chemistry. 

John  B.  Beck,  M.D.,  Professor  of  Botany  and  Materia 
Medica. 

Alexander  H.  Stevens,  M.D.,  Professor  of  the  Prin- 
ciples and  Practice  of  Surgery. 

Edward  Delafield,  M.D.,  Professor  of  Obstetrics 
and  the  Diseases  of  Women  and  Children. 

Joseph  M.  Smith,  M.D.,  Professor  of  the  Theory  and 
Practice  of  Physic  and  Clinical  Medicine. 

The  fourth  president  of  the  College,  Dr.  John 
Watts,  was  a  practitioner  of  eminence,  visiting  phy- 
sician   to    the    New    York    Hospital,    and    consulting 


56  REORGANIZATION 

physician  to  the  New  York  Dispensary  and  the  Ly- 
ing-in Asylum.  At  the  time  of  assuming  the  presid- 
ency he  was  forty  years  of  age,  and  in  the  full  exer- 
cise of  his  professional  activity.  He  was  already  a 
member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  to  which  he  had 
been  appointed  in  1820,  as  one  of  the  representatives  of 
the  County  Medical  Society  in  the  management  of  the 
College.  He  was  thus  personally  familiar  with  the  re- 
cent history  of  the  institution  ;  and  his  general  reputa- 
tion for  sagacity  and  integrity,  as  well  as  his  ac- 
knowledged professional  attainments,  enabled  him  to 
contribute  in  great  measure  to  the  restoration  of  its 
prosperity.  He  continued  to  serve  as  presiding  officer 
until  his  death  in    1831. 

Of  the  professors  appointed  in  1826,  several  had 
already  some  experience  in  teaching.  Dr.  John  Au- 
gustin  Smith,  formerly  the  professor  of  anatomy  and 
surgery,  had  resigned  his  chair  in  18 14  and  removed 
to  Virginia,  where  he  became  the  president  of  William 
and  Mary  College,  his  alma  mater.  On  the  reorgan- 
ization of  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  he 
returned  to  New  York  and  resumed  his  connection 
with  the  institution,  as  professor  of  anatomy  and 
physiology.  Dr.  Dana,  the  professor  of  chemistry, 
had  served  with  credit  for  several  years  in  the  same 
capacity  in  Dartmouth  College,  New  Hampshire. 
Dr.  Stevens  had  been  for  nearly  ten  years  visiting 
surgeon  to  the  New  York  Hospital,  where  he  was 
well  known  for  his  success  as  a  clinical  lecturer,  both 
at  the  bedside  and  in  the  amphitheatre  ;  and  his  pri- 


OF   THE   COLLEGE.  57 

vate  office  was  frequented  by  an  unusually  large  num- 
ber of  pupils.  Dr.  Delafield  was  surgeon  to  the  New 
York  Eye  Infirmary,  which  had  been  for  several  years 
in  operation.  Dr.  Joseph  M.  Smith  had  attracted  at- 
tention as  a  writer  and  reviewer ;  and  Dr.  Beck  was 
chief  editor  of  the  New  York  Medical  and  Physical 
Journal,  then  in  the  fifth  year  of  its  existence.  Three 
of  the  faculty  were  graduates  of  the  College ;  and 
with  the  exception  of  Dr.  Watts  and  Dr.  John  Au- 
gustine Smith,  none  of  them  had  reached  the  age  of 
forty  years.  But  they  were  by  no  means  untried  ;  and 
the  promises  which  they  had  already  given,  for  charac- 
ter and  ability,  were  afterward  abundantly  realized. 

For  some  years  subsequent  to  its  reorganization 
the  College  was  beset  with  continuous  and  harassing 
difficulties.  It  had  experienced  a  revolution  which  re- 
stored its  internal  harmony,  but  at  dangerous  cost  of 
time  and  means.  There  were  still  many  obstacles  in 
the  way  of  its  success.  Its  resources  were  at  a  very 
low  ebb.  In  August,  1826,  a  committee  was  ap- 
pointed by  the  Trustees  to  make  an  inventory  of  the 
college  property,  to  consider  all  matters  relating  to 
the  interests  of  the  institution,  and  to  devise  measures 
for  its  relief  It  appears  from  their  report  that  the 
property  of  the  College  then  consisted  of  little  more 
than  its  land  and  building  in  Barclay  street,  and  that 
there  were  against  it  outstanding  claims,  mainly  from 
the  former  professors,  covering  nearly  the  whole  of 
this  value ;  so  that  if  these  claims  were  to  be  allowed 
and  satisfied,  even  without  a  forced  sale  of  the  prop- 


58  REOR  GANIZA  TION 

erty,  there  would  remain  in  the  hands  of  the  College 
"not  more  than  $4,570."  The  building,  moreover, 
was  in  bad  condition.  The  committee  found  the 
"seats  and  furniture  of  the  lecture  rooms  very  much 
out  of  repair  ; "  the  anatomical  museum  "  almost 
empty ;  "  the  "  shelves  and  cases  of  the  professor  of 
chemistry  empty  ;  "  some  of  the  fixtures  belonging 
to  the  same  department  "  taken  down  and  carried 
away;"  and  the  College  generally  presenting  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  "  city  sacked  and  deserted  by  a  ruthless 
enemy."  There  was  left  in  its  possession  but  a  slen- 
der remnant  of  material  and  apparatus  for  teaching 
purposes  ;  a  deficiency  which  could  only  be  supplied 
by  the  voluntary  exertion  of  its  friends. 

Beside  these  sources  of  anxiety  in  the  internal 
affairs  of  the  College,  there  were  others  equally  threat- 
ening without.  The  retirement  of  the  former  faculty, 
and  the  organization  of  a  new  medical  school  under 
their  direction,  not  only  created  an  earnest  and  able 
rivalry  against  the  college ;  it  also  established  a  strong 
partisan  opposition  between  the  adherents  of  the  two 
institutions ;  and  this  extended  so  far  as  to  enlist,  in 
favor  of  one  and  against  the  other,  nearly  every  medi- 
cal man  in  the  city  and  not  a  few  in  other  parts  of  the 
State.  The  traces  of  this  feeling,  in  the  records  of 
the  College  and  in  the  medical  literature  of  the  day, 
are  sufficient  to  show  that  it  gave  rise  to  much  differ- 
ence of  opinion  and  hostile  criticism  on  both  sides. 

But  the  new  professors  were  equal  to  the  emer- 
gency.    They  made   every  effort   to   provide  for  the 


OF  THE   COLLEGE.  59 

wants  of  the  College  and  to  restore  its  efficiency. 
The  important  anatomical  collection  belonging  to  the 
former  professor,  which  had  been  sold  and  removed 
from  the  building,  was  purchased  by  a  friend  of  the 
institution,  and  by  a  "  liberal  and  spirited  arrange- 
ment" between  the  purchaser  and  the  professors  was 
returned  to  the  museum  of  the  College.  Its  shelves 
were  also  replenished  from  the  private  collections  of 
Dr.  Stevens  and  Dr.  Delafield,  with  further  contribu- 
tions from  other  similar  sources.  The  New  York  Eye 
Infirmary  was  thrown  open  for  clinical  instruction  ;  and 
a  special  course  of  lectures  on  diseases  of  the  eye  was 
given  by  Dr.  Delafield,  in  addition  to  those  of  his  ob- 
stetrical chair.  By  persevering  attention  to  the  duties 
of  their  professorships,  the  members  of  the  faculty 
demonstrated  their  ability  to  maintain  their  position 
as  teachers,  and  to  meet  with  success  the  competition 
of  their  elders  and  predecessors. 

At  the  first  session  of  the  College  after  its  reor- 
ganization the  number  of  students  in  attendance  was 
reduced  to  ninety.  But  it  soon  began  to  increase,  and 
in  five  or  six  years  it  again  reached  nearly  its  former 
standard.  The  "  Rutgers  Medical  College,"  estab- 
lished at  first  under  the  authority  of  Rutgers  College, 
New  Jersey,  afterward  transferred  its  allegiance  to 
Geneva  College,  in  the  State  of  New  York.  But  it 
failed  to  obtain,  under  either  of  these  connections,  the 
requisite  legal  sanction  for  its  diplomas  ;  and  the  at- 
tempt was  finally  abandoned.  About  the  same  time 
the  pecuniary  claims  against  the  College  of  Physicians 


6o  REOR  GANIZA  TION 

and  Surgeons,  which  had  been  pressed  with  much 
urgency  by  suits  at  law,  were  adjudged  and  settled  on 
a  more  favorable  basis  than  had  been  anticipated.* 
The  College  was  thus  relieved  from  the  most  vexa- 
tious of  its  financial  embarrassments,  and  freed  from 
the  annoyance  of  professional  opposition.  Its  vitality 
had  been  tested  and  strengthened  by  the  trials  it  en- 
dured, and  it  gained  at  last  the  permanent  respect  of 
its  opponents  as  well  as  its  friends. 

All  this  time  a  strict  economy  was  required  and 
practised,  to  maintain  the  safety  and  independence  of 
the  institution.  The  unexpired  lease  of  the  premises 
on  Park  Place,  in  the  rear  of  the  College,  was  sold  ; 
the  College  retaining  for  its  accommodation  only  the 
"  conveniences  for  a  sink."  All  subscriptions  to  for- 
eign and  domestic  periodicals,  and  all  purchases  of 
books,  were  discontinued.  Various  perquisites  and 
commissions,  formerly  allowed  to  the  registrar,  treas- 
urer, librarian  and  president,  were  abolished  ;  these 
officers  thereafter  performing  their  duties  gratuitously. 
The  graduation  fees,  previously  divided  among  the 
faculty,  were  assigned  to  the  general  income  of  the 
College  ;  and  for  two  years  a  tenth  part  of  the  lecture 
fees  of  each  professor  was  appropriated  to  a  fund  for 
reducing  the  indebtedness  of  the  institution.  By  these 
means  the  College  was  gradually  placed  in  a  position 
of  comparative  security,  and  enabled  to  provide  for  its 
most  important  liabilities. 

*  These  claims  were  originally  for  $20,478.     They  were  settled,  ac- 
cording to  a  judgment  rendered  in  1830,  for  $13,986. 


OF   THE   COLLEGE.  6 1 

Among  the  active  members  of  the  Board  of  Trus- 
tees, who  aided  in  sustaining  the  College  during  this 
period  of  contest  and  difficulty,  were  Dr.  John  Kear- 
ny Rodgers,  the  eminent  surgeon  and  accomplished 
anatomist,  who  was  visiting  surgeon  to  both  the  New 
York  Hospital  and  the  New  York  Eye  Infirmary;  Dr. 
John  D.  Jaques,  the  faithful  and  efficient  treasurer  of 
the  College  since  1811,  who  continued  to  perform  the 
duties  of  that  important  office,  without  compensation, 
till  1838;  Dr.  Nicoll  H.  Dering,  the  assiduous  regis- 
trar, a  graduate  of  the  class  of  181 7;  Drs.  William 
Hamersley  and  Francis  U.  yoh7isto7z,  both  physicians 
to  the  New  York  Hospital ;  Drs.  Samuel  Borrowe 
and  John  C.  Ckeesman,  surgeons  to  the  same  institu- 
tion ;  Mr.  James  A.  Ham-ilton,  a  son  of  Alexander 
Hamilton ;  the  Hon.  Elisha  W.  King ;  the  Hon. 
George  W.  Bruen ',  the  Hon.  James  Campbell;  the 
Hon.  Stephen  Allen,  who  had  been  Mayor  of  the  city 
in  1821,  1822  and  1823;  Mr.  Charles  G.  Troup;  and 
Mr.  Samuel  Boyd.  Of  the  non-medical  trustees 
above  mentioned,  two  were  merchants  and  the  rest 
members  of  the  legal  profession. 

Meanwhile,  some  changes  occurred  in  the  faculty. 
The  first  was  due  to  the  death  of  Dr.  Dana,  the  pro- 
fessor of  chemistry,  in  1827,  within  a  year  after  his 
appointment,  He  was  considered  a  man  of  great 
promise,  and  was  universally  regretted  by  his  pupils 
and  his  colleagues.  His  successor  in  the  chemical 
chair  was  Dr.   John  Torrey,  a  graduate  of  the  class 


6  2  REOR  GANIZA  TION 

of  1818,  who  had  been  for  three  years  professor  of 
chemistry,  geology  and  mineralogy  in  the  United 
States  Military  Academy  at  West  Point.  He  at  once 
entered  on  his  duties  in  the  College  of  Physicians  and 
Surgeons,  where  he  remained  for  many  years,  acquir- 
ing a  wide  reputation  both  as  chemist  and  botanist, 
and  contributing  much  to  the  scientific  repute  of  the 
institution.  In  compliance  with  the  express  desire 
of  himself  and  Dr.  Beck,  the  department  of  botany 
was  transferred  to  Dr.  Torrey  and  that  of  medical 
jurisprudence  to  Dr.  Beck.  By  this  exchange  each 
professor  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  subject  most 
adapted  to  his  taste  and  acquirements. 

Subsequently,  Dr.  Valentine  Mott  again  became 
professor  in  the  College.  His  increasing  reputation 
and  success  as  an  operator  made  him  a  desirable  ac- 
quisition for  the  corps  of  teachers  ;  and  on  his  part 
the  disposition  to  rejoin  the  College  was  not  wanting. 
For  the  purpose  of  carrying  out  this  design  a  new 
chair  was  established  in  183 1,  to  which  Dr.  Mott  was 
appointed,  as  professor  of  "  Operative  Surgery  and 
Surgical  and  Pathological  Anatomy."  At  the  solici- 
tation of  the  faculty  he  was  also  associated  with  Dr. 
Stevens  in  the  clinical  teaching  of  surgery  at  the  New 
York  Hospital.  He  continued  to  occupy  this  position 
for  nearly  four  years,  when  he  was  compelled  to  sus- 
pend professional  work  and  to  undertake  a  European 
tour  for  the  benefit  of  his  health.  Owing  to  his  pro- 
lono-ed  absence,  the  chair  which  had  been  created  for 
him  was  abolished  in    1837;  and  after  his  return  he 


OF   THE   COLLEGE.  63 

received  the  complimentary  appointment  of  Professor 
Emeritus. 

In  1834  the  chair  of  anatomy  and  physiology,  held 
by  Dr.  John  Augustine  Smith,  was  divided ;  Dr. 
Smith  remaining  professor  of  physiology,  and  Dr. 
J ohn  R.  Rhinelander ,  a  graduate  of  the  class  of 
1824,  becoming  professor  of  anatomy.  He  had  al- 
ready served  in  the  College  for  five  years  as  Dem- 
onstrator of  anatomy ;  and  on  assuming  the  profes- 
sorship he  deposited  in  the  college  museum  a  large 
collection  of  specimens  prepared  by  himself. 

On  the  death  of  the  president,  Dr.  John  Watts,  in 
183 1,  his  place  was  filled  by  the  appointment  of  Dr. 
John  Augustine  Smith.  The  vice  president  was 
Dr.  Thomas  Cock,  who  had  been  the  incumbent  of 
that  office  since  1827. 

The  next  event  of  importance  was  in  1837,  when 
the  College  was  removed  to  Crosby  street,  about 
one  mile  farther  u^p  town.  For  some  years  the  old 
building  had  been  very  inadequate  in  its  accommoda- 
tions ;  beside  which  the  movement  of  population  away 
from  its  vicinity,  and  the  increase  of  business  estab- 
lishments near  by,  made  it  evident  that  the  College 
must  soon  need  a  more  appropriate  location.  The 
matter  was  discussed  in  the  Board  of  Trustees  as 
early  as  1834;  and  in  the  following  year  a  committee 
was  appointed  to  "■  ascertain  whether  a  new  site  could 
be  obtained  for  the  College  and  upon  what  terms," 
as  well   as   to   "  procure  plans   and   estimates   of  the 


64  REOR  GANIZA  TION 

expense  attending  the  erection  of  proper  buildings." 
Soon  afterward  the  committee  reported  that  a  piece 
of  property  in  Crosby  street,  belonging  to  the  New 
York  High  School  Society,  was  for  sale  ;  and  that, 
with  certain  alterations,  the  building  might  be  made 
serviceable  for  the  purposes  of  the  College.  The  lots 
were  on  the  east  side  of  the  street,  having  a  frontage 
of  seventy-two  feet  and  a  depth  of  one  hundred  feet ; 
the  building  being  of  considerably  smaller  dimensions. 
In  accordance  with  the  recommendation  of  the  com- 
mittee, the  property  was  purchased,  in  May,  1835,  for 
$18,500;  but  it  was  subject  to  an  unexpired  lease, 
and  consequently  did  not  come  into  the  possession 
of  the  College  until  two  years  later.  As  early  as  pos- 
sible thereafter  plans  for  the  reconstruction  of  the 
building  were  submitted  to  the  Board  of  Trustees  and 
approved  by  them.  The  work  was  commenced  on  the 
first  of  June  and  completed  by  the  first  of  November  ; 
and  the  building  was  inaugurated  at  the  opening  of 
the  thirty-first  session,  November  6th,  1837. 

The  removal  of  the  College  was  accomplished  at  a 
time  very  unfavorable  for  such  an  enterprise.  The 
disastrous  fire  in  the  winter  of  1835-36,  which  de- 
stroyed thirteen  acres  of  the  most  important  business 
structures  in  the  lower  part  of  the  city  and  caused  a 
general  collapse  of  the  insurance  companies,  was  fol- 
lowed by  the  scarcity  and  distress  of  the  succeeding 
winter,  and  lastly  by  the  financial  revulsion  of  1837, 
when  all  the  banks  in  the  United  States  suspended 
payment  for  a  year.     These  misfortunes  impeded,  for 


OF   THE   COLLEGE.  65 

the  time  being,  every  kind  of  business  operation.  It 
was  difficult  to  find  a  purchaser  for  the  college  prop- 
erty in  Barclay  street ;  and  when  finally  sold,  it 
brought  only  $31,000.  Of  this  sum,  nearly  one  half 
was  covered  by  a  mortgage  which  had  been  placed 
on  the  property,  to  meet  the  judgment  rendered 
against  the  institution  in  1830;  and  there  had  been, 
for  the  past  two  years,  a  diminution  in  the  receipts 
of  the  College,  owing  to  the  general  disturbance  and 
uncertainty  in  financial  affairs. 

The  entire  cost  of  reconstructing  and  furnishing 
the  new  building  was  $14,370.  But  the  funds  re- 
maining in  the  hands  of  the  trustees,  after  paying 
for  the  original  property,  amounted  to  less  than 
$10,000.  This  left  a  deficit  of  $4,450,  which  had  to 
be  supplied  by  a  loan  from  the  individual  professors  ; 
the  largest  share  of  this  financial  burden  being  borne 
by  Dr.  John  Augustine  Smith.  All  things  considered, 
it  appeared  to  the  trustees  a  matter  of  congratulation 
that  "  notwithstanding  the  pressure  of  the  times  "  the 
work  had  been  successfully  completed  according  to 
the  original  design. 

The  new  building  was  regarded  as  a  great  improve- 
ment on  the  former  structure ;  "  imposing  in  its  ap- 
pearance, ample  in  its  dimensions,  and  commodious 
in  its  arrangements."  In  the  last  respect  especially  it 
was  confidently  declared  to  be  "unsurpassed  by  any 
similar  establishment  in  the  Union." 

The  edifice  was  of  brick,  three  stories  high,  with  a 
lecture    room   on  each   floor ;    sixty-five   feet  wide    in 
5 


66 


REOR  GANIZA  TION 


front  and  seventy-five  feet  in  depth,  with  an  open  pas- 
sage way  from  front  to  rear  along  the  north  side. 
The  first  fioor,  nearly  level  with  the  street,  contained 
the  chemical  lecture  room,  calculated  for  an  audience 
of  three  hundred,  with  the  professor's  laboratory  and 
apparatus   rooms   in   the   rear.      On   the   second  fioor 


~~_r- 


TTi-T 


\  15.    L'   ir'  II  |i 


The  College  Building  in  Crosby  Street. 

1837-1856. 

From  the  College  Circular  for   1837. 


was  the  College  Hall,  or  principal  lecture  room,  used 
also  for  Introductory  and  Commencement  exercises  ; 
a  cabinet  of  Materia  Medica ;  and  private  rooms. 
The  third  floor  was  occupied  by  the  amphitheatre,  the 
museum,  private  rooms,  and  the  general  dissecting- 
room.  The  amphitheatre,  the  lecture  rooms,  and  the 
dissecting  room  were  warmed  by  stoves,  the  smaller 
apartments  by  open  fire  places.  All  were  lighted 
with  gas  and  supplied,  after  a  few  years,  with  Croton 


OF   THE   COLLEGE,  6y 

water ;  neither  of  which  conveniences  had  existed  in 
the  Barclay  street  building.  In  1847  ^^  additional 
story  was  constructed  on  the  rear,  giving  a  larger 
dissecting  room  and  more  space  on  the  third  floor  for 
other  purposes.  The  building  was  known  as  No.  67 
Crosby  street,  and  was  occupied  by  the  College  for  a 
little  over  eighteen  years. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  COLLEGE  IN  CROSBY  STREET. 

ERA  OF  IMPROVEMENT. 

1837-1856. 

About  the  time  of  the  removal  of  the  College  to 
Crosby  street  the  faculty  received  a  number  of  impor- 
tant accessions.  In  1837  Dr.  Stevens  resigned  the 
professorship  of  surgery,  which  he  had  held  with  dis- 
tinguished ability  for  eleven  years,  and  was  followed 
by  Dr.  Alban  G.  Smith,  previously  professor  of  sur- 
gery in  the  Medical  College  of  Ohio.  Dr.  Smith 
however  lectured  for  only  two  sessions.  The  chair 
was  then  filled  by  Dr.  Willard  Parker,  who  had  been 
for  four  years  professor  of  surgery  in  the  Medical  Col- 
leo-e  of  Cincinnati.  On  receiving  his  appointment  in 
1840,  Dr.  Parker  removed  to  New  York,  where  he  at 
once  gave  evidence  of  superior  talent,  both  as  pro- 
fessor and  practitioner. 

In  1839,  the  chair  of  anatomy  having  been  vacated 

by   the   resignation   of  Dr.    Rhinelander,  Dr.  Robert 

Watts  was  made  professor  in  that  department.     He 

was  a  nephew  of  the  former  president  of  the  College, 

Dr.  John  Watts,  and  a  graduate  in  the  class  of  1836. 


THE   COLLEGE  IN  CROSBY  STREET.  69 

At  the  time  of  his  appointment  he  was  twenty-seven 
years  of  age,  and  had  already  taught  anatomy  in  the 
medical  schools  of  Pittsfield,  Massachusetts,  and 
Woodstock,  Vermont.  His  untiring  industry  and  ac- 
curate information  made  him  a  valuable  addition  to 
the  faculty  and  a  marked  favorite  with  the  students  of 
the  College. 

Nearly  at  the  same  time  Dr.  Delafield  retired  from 
the  chair  of  obstetrics,  and  in  1841  this  professorship 
was  filled  by  the  appointment  of  Dr.  Chandler  R. 
Gilman,  a  well-known  practitioner  in  the  city,  who 
had  officiated  as  lecturer  on  obstetrics  for  the  preced- 
ing session. 

The  fifth  president  of  the  College,  Dr.  John  Au- 
gustine Smith,  is  an  interesting  character  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  institution  from  his  long  and  varied  con- 
nection with  its  affairs.  He  was  identified  with  its 
original  organization,  having  taken  part  in  the  first 
session  as  lecturer  on  anatomy,  and  receiving  immedi- 
ately afterward  the  appointment  of  professor  of  anat- 
omy and  surgery.  He  continued  in  this  chair  until 
18 14,  when  he  removed  to  Virginia,  his  former  home, 
to  accept  the  presidency  of  William  and  Mary  College 
in  that  State  ;  returning  after  an  interval  of  twelve 
years,  to  resume  his  connection  with  the  College  of 
Physicians  and  Surgeons,  in  1826,  as  professor  of 
anatomy  and  physiology.  After  becoming  president 
in  1 83 1,  he  continued  to  lecture  on  anatomy  and  phy- 
siology until  the  chair  was  divided  in  1834,  and  subse- 
quently on  physiology  until  1843  ;  thus  combining  for 


70  THE   COLLEGE   LN 

a  period  of  twelve  years  the  duties  of  president  and 
professor. 

His  character  was  marked  by  an  amiabiHty  of  dis- 
position and  a  courtesy  of  manner  which  survived  all 
the  trials  and  difficulties  of  his  administration.  These 
qualities  were  especially  noticeable  in  his  relations 
with  Dr.  Wright  Post,  who  was  attached  to  the  chair 
of  anatomy  in  1814  as  joint  professor;  Dr.  Smith  leav- 
ing the  College  soon  afterward,  and  in  turn  replacing 
Dr.  Post  at  its  reorganization  in  1826.  Notwithstand- 
ing these  professional  complications,  Dr.  Smith  was 
selected  by  the  County  Medical  Society  to  prepare  the 
obituary  memoir  of  Dr.  Post  in  1828.  In  this  address 
he  refers  to  their  intercourse  as  follows  : 

"A  good  understanding  always  existed  between 
Dr.  Post  and  myself.  At  first  in  opposition,  then  joint 
professors,  and  lastly  independent  friends  ;  no  hostile 
feeling  was  at  any  time  manifested  with  regard  to  each 
other,  nor  did  any,  I  am  persuaded,  ever  exist.  And 
now  it  has  fallen  to  my  lot  to  hold  up,  however  feebly, 
to  the  just  admiration  of  his  fellow  citizens  the  only 
man  with  whom,  in  the  whole  course  of  my  life,  I  have 
come  into  any  sort  of  collision,  whose  talents  and  sta- 
tion could  for  a  moment  induce  me  to  consider  him  as 
a  rival." 

Dr.  Smith  was  equally  good-tempered  in  replying 
to  criticisms  on  himself.  He  was  thought  by  some  to 
be  more  versed  in  philosophic  generalities  than  in  the 
exact  details  of  specific  information.  Nevertheless,  in 
an  introductory  lecture  delivered  in  1827  he  expressed 


CROSBY  STREET.  J I 

a  strong  disapproval  of  "medical  theorists  ;"  and  when 
charged  with  inconsistency  in  this  respect,  he  replied 
as  follows  : 

"  With  these  remarks  the  author  takes  leave  of 
medical  theorists ;  adding  however  that  his  friends 
have  suggested  to  him  that  he  himself,  from  his  prop- 
ensity to  generalize,  is  obnoxious  to  his  own  censures. 
If  such  be  the  fact,  it  only  adds  one  to  the  long  list  of 
those  whose  precepts  are  better  than  their  example  ; 
and,  he  sincerely  hopes  that  his  brethren  will  profit 
by  what  is  right,  while,  more  fortunate  than  himself, 
they  eschew  what  is  wrong." 

Dr.  Smith  was  a  man  of  scholarly  attainments, 
somewhat  given  to  metaphysical  discussion,  but  a 
polished  writer  and  an  agreeable  and  instructive  lec- 
turer. Though  not  distinguished  for  any  remarkable 
traits  of  scientific  originality,  he  seems  to ,  have  had 
much  influence  with  his  associates,  and  to  have  con- 
ducted the  affairs  of  the  College  with  judgment  and 
success.  He  resigned  the  presidency  in  1843,  when 
Dr.  Stevens  was  appointed  in  his  place.  At  that  time 
the  department  of  physiology  was  again  attached  to 
the  chair  of  anatomy. 

In  consequence  of  these  changes  the  faculty  of  the 
College,  soon  after  its  establishment  in  Crosby  street, 
became  virtually  a  new  one,  with  the  following  organ- 
ization : 


72  .  THE   COLLEGE  IN 

THE    FACULTY    IN    1 843. 

Alexander  H.  Stevens,  M.D.,  President. 

Joseph  M.  Smith,  M.D.,  Professor  of  the  Theory  and 

Practice  of  Medicine  and  Clinical  Medicine. 
John  B.   Beck,   M.D.,  Professor  of  Materia  Medica 

and  Medical  ftirisprudejtce. 
John    Torrey,    M.D.,    Professor    of  Chemistry  and 

Botany. 
Robert    Watts,    M.D.,  Professor    of  Anatomy  and 

Physiology. 
Willard   Parker,  M.D.,  Professor  of  the  Principles 

and  Practice  of  Surgery. 
Chandler  R.  Gilman,  M.D.,  Professor  of  Obstetrics 

and  the  Diseases  of  Women  and  Children. 

The  period  from  1837  to  1856,  during  which  the 
College  remained  in  Crosby  street,  was  one  of  sub- 
stantial progress  in  reputation  and  prosperity.  Its 
average  attendance  of  students  increased  from  one 
hundred  and  forty,  as  in  the  preceding  ten  years,  to 
about  two  hundred.  The  traces  of  antagonism  in 
various  quarters,  the  legacy  of  its  former  turmoils  and 
dissensions,  disappeared  before  the  growing  popular- 
ity of  its  teachers  and  the  united  support  of  its  officers 
and  trustees.  This  opened  for  the  College  a  new 
prospect  and  placed  it  in  a  different  position.  Here- 
tofore its  energies  had  been  consumed  in  an  unavoid- 
able conflict,  with  difficulties.  Now  they  were  em- 
ployed to  enlarge  its  resources  and  increase  its  use- 
fulness. 


CROSBY  STREET.  y$ 

An  important  innovation  introduced  at  this  time 
was  a  change  in  the  mode  of  selecting  and  appointing 
professors.  In  1837  the  plan  was  inaugurated  of  pro- 
viding for  a  vacant  professorship  by  the  appointment 
of  a  "Lecturer,"  who  should  perform  the  duties  of  the 
chair  during  one  session  before  he  could  be  eligible  as 
professor.  From  the  earlier  years  of  the  College  it 
had  been  sometimes  the  practice  for  the  Trustees  to 
appoint  lecturers ;  but  this  was  only  as  a  temporary 
expedient,  to  fill  a  vacancy  while  awaiting  the  action 
of  the  Regents,  or  to  provide  for  lectures  during  the 
absence  or  disability  of  a  professor.  It  was  now 
adopted  as  a  rule,  that  no  one  should  be  appointed 
to  a  professorship  until  he  had  served  as  lecturer  to 
the  satisfaction  of  his  colleagues.  Every  candidate 
was  thus  put  to  a  preliminary  test ;  and  the  College 
was  relieved  from  the  danger  of  hasty  or  injudicious 
appointments.  After  a  few  years'  trial  the  advantages 
of  this  method  were  so  obvious  that  it  received  the 
approval  of  all  and  became  the  established  policy  of 
the  institution.  It  has  been  retained  without  inter- 
ruption to  the  present  day. 

Furthermore,  the  instruction  given  in  the  regular 
term  was  supplemented  by  courses  of  Spring  and 
Fall  lectures.  Soon  after  the  organization  of  the 
College  there  had  been  a  course  of  lectures  in  April, 
May,  and  June,  devoted  to  zoology,  botany,  mineral- 
ogy, and  chemistry.  But  this  subsequently  fell  into 
disuse.  At  first,  two  of  the  professors  took  part  in 
it,   afterward  only  one;    and  since   18 17  it  had  been 


74  THE   COLLEGE  LN 

wholly  discontinued.  It  was  now  revived,  on  a  larger 
scale  and  with  a  different  object ;  namely,  to  give  in- 
struction on  special  subjects,  mainly  of  a  practical 
nature,  which  could  not  be  sufficiently  treated  during 
the  regular  session.  In  1841  a  Spring  course  was 
inaugurated,  with  two  or  three  lectures  a  day  from 
March  till  June.  It  was  conducted  by  a  corps  of 
eight  lecturers,  including  professors  Parker,  Watts, 
and  Oilman,  as  representing  the  faculty ;  Dr.  Ouack- 
enboss,  the  demonstrator  of  anatomy ;  and  four  other 
physicians  connected  with  various  medical  institutions 
in  the  city.  The  programme  for  this  course  was  as 
follows  : 

SPRING    COURSE    OF    LECTURES    FOR     1 84  I . 

Operative  Surgery Dr.  Willard  Parker. 

Surgical  Anatomy Dr.  Robert  Watts. 

Pathology  of  the  Uterus.  .Dr.  Chandler  R.  Oilman. 

The  Nervous  System Dr.  James  Ouackenboss. 

Diseases  of  the  Eye Dr.  Oeorge  Wilkes. 

Pathology  of  the  Thorax  .Dr.  Alonzo  Clark. 
Club  feet  and  kindred  de- 
formities   Dr.  William  Detmold. 

Pathology  of  the  Kidney .  .  Dr.  William  C.  Roberts. 

In  the  Fall  of  the  same  year  a  "  preliminary 
course "  was  established,  continuing  through  Octo- 
ber to  the  opening  of  the  regular  term  in  November. 
This  course  was  conducted  wholly  by  members  of  the 
faculty,  and  comprised  the  following  subjects  : 


CROSBY  STREET.  75 

PRELIMINARY    P^ALL    COURSE    FOR     1 84 1 . 

Medical  Botany  by Dr.  1'orrey. 

Comparative  Osteology  "    Dr.  Watts. 

Pathology  of  the  Ear  "    Dr.  Parker. 

Monstrosities  "    Dr.  Oilman. 

The  Spring  and  Fall  lectures  were  soon  found  to 
be  valuable  additions  to  the  regular  course.  They 
were  not  obligatory  upon  the  students  as  a  requisite 
for  graduation ;  but  to  all  who  could  avail  themselves 
of  the  privilege  they  afforded  increased  opportunities 
for  acquiring  information.  They  were  continued  and 
assiduously  sustained  by  the  faculty.  The  announce- 
ment for  1844  states  that  the  Fall  course  is  to  be  en- 
larged, to  include  lectures  by  "all  the  professors," 
making  the  entire  session  "virtually  of  five  months' 
duration  ;  "  the  customary  period  of  four  months,  re- 
quired by  law,  being,  in  the  opinion  of  the  faculty, 
"  too  short  even  for  the  regular  course,  and  much  too 
short  to  allow  them  to  enter  into  specialities." 

Three  years  later  the  regular  course  was  extended 
to  four  months  and  a  half,  beginning  in  the  middle  of 
October  ;  and  the  preliminary  course  was  placed  at 
an  earlier  date,  beginning  in  September. 

The  Spring  course  was  also  enlarged  by  securing 
the  cooperation  of  various  medical  men  who  were 
known  as  experts  on  special  subjects ;  becoming  in 
this  way  a  "valuable  and  practical  course  on  spe- 
cialities." Beside  the  topics  already  enumerated,  it 
included,  in  the  following  years,  such  subjects  as  Poi- 


^(i  THE  COLLEGE  LN 

sons,  Diseases  of  the  Skin,  Comparative  Anatomy, 
Pathology  of  the  Intestines,  Dislocations  and  Fract- 
ures, Uterine  Hemorrhages,  the  Physiology  of  Gene- 
ration, Pathology  of  the  Urine,  and  Diseases  of  In- 
fancy. These  lectures  were  appreciated  by  graduates 
as  well  as  by  students ;  and  they  were  also  useful  by 
bringing  into  notice  the  acquirements  and  talent  of 
younger  members  of  the  profession  in  various  de- 
partments of  practical  or  scientific  medicine. 

At  the  same  time  the  faculty  began  to  pay 
greater  attention  than  before  to  material  zlhcstration 
as  a  means  of  instruction.  In  the  announcement  for 
1837,  especial  stress  is  laid  on  the  increased  facilities 
in  the  new  building  for  practical  anatomy,  and  on 
those  for  illustration  in  various  departments  by  speci- 
mens, drawings,  models,  wax  preparations,  and  plas- 
ter casts.  The  anatomical  specimens  belonging  to 
the  former  professor  in  this  department  were  pur- 
chased and  secured  for  the  benefit  of  the  College. 
From  time  to  time  there  were  other  contributions 
by  former  graduates.  In  1845  the  museum  was  en- 
riched by  the  collection  of  Dr.  J.  Kearny  Rodgers, 
an  old  friend  and  trustee  of  the  institution  ;  and  in 
the  same  year  professor  John  B.  Beck  presented  his 
cabinet  of  materia  medica,  containing  nearly  six  hun- 
dred specimens.  On  all  sides  a  desire  was  mani- 
fested to  enlarge  the  means  of  instruction  beyond 
those  of  a  strictly  didactic  course.  The  announce- 
ment for  1850  declares  that  "the  great  object  of  the 
faculty  is  to  make  the   courses  of  instruction   as   de- 


CROSBY  STREET.  J  J 

monstrative  and  practical  as  possible  ;  and  in  this 
object  they  are  warmly  seconded  by  the  Trustees 
of  the  College." 

One  of  the  most  important  features  of  this  policy 
was  the  College  Clinic,  established  in  1841  by  the 
sagacity  and  enterprise  of  Dr.  Willard  Parker,  then 
recently  appointed  professor  of  surgery.  In  the  pre- 
ceding year  a  number  of  private  pupils  had  been 
taken  to  the  Northern  Dispensary,  at  the  intersec- 
tion of  Christopher  street  and  Waverley  Place,  to 
witness  there  the  methods  of  diagnosis  and  treat- 
ment. This  was  found  so  useful  that  soon  after  the 
commencement  of  the  session  it  was  "  thought  best 
to  make  the  College  the  place  for  this  kind  of  instruc- 
tion," so  that  all  might  share  in  its  benefits.  Out- 
door patients  were  accordingly  brought,  from  the  Dis- 
pensary and  elsewhere,  to  the  College  building,  to 
be  examined  and  treated  in  the  presence  of  the  class. 

This  was  the  beginning  of  the  entire  system  of 
college  clinics,  which  have  since  grown  into  such  mag- 
nitude. At  first  they  were  held  once  a  week  during 
the  session ;  but  they  were  soon  increased  in  fre- 
quency and  continued  through  the  intervening  months. 
In  the  catalogue  for  1843-4  it  is  announced  that  "a 
Clinique  has  been  established  in  the  College,  which 
has  been  in  successful  operation  for  several  years, 
under  the  direction  of  the  professor  of  surgery.  The 
cases  presented  to  the  class  embrace  almost  every 
variety  of  minor  surgery,  and  many  of  them  require 
operations  which  are  performed  before  the  class."     . 


7^  THE   COLLEGE  LN 

.  .  "In  the  course  of  the  present  session  the 
professor  of  obstetrics  has  made  arrangements  for  a 
cHnique  to  be  held  every  Thursday,  and  to  embrace 
the  diseases  of  women  and  children." 

Under  this  plan  the  number  of  patients  rapidly  in- 
creased, and  the  clinic  grew  in  favor  with  both  the 
students  and  the  profession.  In  1844  it  is  styled  the 
"  Medical  and  Surgical  Clinique,"  and  the  encourage- 
ment received  in  its  support  is  duly  acknowledged. 
"The  great  number  of  Medical  men  in  New  York, 
many  of  them  connected  with  public  institutions  and 
desirous  of  promoting  the  interest  of  the  College,  fur- 
nishes the  Clinique  with  an  abundant  supply  of  useful 
and  interesting  cases,  embracing  Medical  and  Surgical 
diseases  ;  also  those  of  Children.  These  cases  are 
examined  and  prescribed  for  before  the  class,  so  that 
each  student  can  follow  for  himself  the  causes,  symp- 
toms, diagnosis,  prognosis,  and  treatment  of  every 
case."  The  scope  of  the  enterprise  continued  to  en- 
large ;  and  in  1850  it  had  "assumed  a  degree  of  im- 
portance that  could  hardly  have  been  anticipated  at 
its  origin."  Subsequently  there  were  three  clinics 
each  week  at  the  college  building,  throughout  the 
regular  session  and  during  the  Spring  and  Fall 
terms. 

The  advance  of  the  College  at  this  time,  in  effici- 
ency and  repute,  was  largely  due  to  the  unremitting 
exertion  of  its  professors,  and  their  judicious  employ- 
ment of  various  means  for  its  improvement.  They 
felt  that  the  course  of  instruction   needed  a  greater 


CROSBY  STREET.  79 

expenditure  of  time  and  attention  on  their  part  than 
had  yet  been  given  to  it ;  and  they  were  ready  to 
adopt  new  methods  and  measures  whenever  occasion 
required.  The  master  spirits  in  this  movement  were 
Drs.  Parker,  Watts  and  Oilman.  They  were  ambi- 
tious in  the  pursuit  of  professional  distinction,  but  with 
no  wish  to  revive  the  personal  differences  of  former 
times,  now  happily  becoming  obsolete;  and  they  knew 
how  to  enlist  the  sympathy  and  cooperation  of  others 
in  an  institution  intended  for  the  benefit  of  all.  The 
College  will  always  be  indebted  to  their  energy  and 
foresight  for  inaugurating  improvements  of  lasting  in- 
fluence on  its  future  welfare. 

Beside  these  changes  in  the  internal  affairs  of 
the  College,  there  were  others,  connected  with  the 
general  growth  of  the  city  and  its  institutions,  which 
aided  the  advancement  of  medical  education.  One  of 
the  most  important  was  the  reorganization  of  Bellc- 
vue  Hospital.  This  institution  was  originally  the  city 
almshouse,  which  in  1807  was  located  in  Chambers 
street.  At  that  time  it  had  no  regular  hospital  organi- 
zation ;  but  such  of  its  inmates  as  required  medical 
treatment  were  cared  for  by  an  attending  physician  at 
his  stated  visits.  In  18 16,  owing  to  the  need  of  larger 
accommodations  for  the  poor,  a  new  building  was 
erected  on  the  shore  of  the  East  River,  at  a  place 
known  as  "  Bellevue."  This  was  formerly  a  country 
seat  belonging  to  Lindley  Murray,  the  grammarian, 
who  describes  it,  in  his  Letters,  as  "most  delightfully 
situated,"  commanding  an  extensive  view  up  and  down 


8o  _  THE    COLLEGE  LN 

the  river,  with  a  fruit  and  flower  garden,  and  a  field  in 
the  rear  for  pasturing  cattle.  After  the  erection  on 
this  ground  of  the  almshouse  proper,  one  or  two 
smaller  structures  were  added  near  by,  for  the  recep- 
tion of  the  sick.  But  with  the  growing  demand  on 
the  city  charities,  these  accommodations  also  proved 
insufficient;  and  in  1848  the  almshouse  department 
was  removed  to  Blackwell's  Island,  leaving  the  entire 
establishment  at  Bellevue  for  use  as  a  hospital. 

In  this  way  Bellevue  hospital  was  added  to  the 
medical  institutions  of  the  city.  But  in  the  following 
year  it  was  greatly  improved  through  a  reorganization 
of  its  management  under  the  authority  of  the  State 
legislature.  By  this  law  its  affairs  were  confided  to  a 
Board  of  Governors,  who,  acting  in  concert  with  the 
medical  profession,  introduced  into  its  administration 
several  much  needed  reforms.  One  of  the  improve- 
ments so  effected  was  the  opening  of  the  hospital  for 
clinical  teaching.  It  had  now  become  a  much  larger 
establishment  than  before,  admitting  over  three  thou- 
sand patients  annually ;  and  it  would  consequently 
afford,  if  accessible  to  students,  much  valuable  oppor- 
tunity for  medical  instruction. 

This  was  accomplished  during  the  session  of 
1849-50,  through  the  influence  of  the  attending  phy- 
sicians and  surgeons  with  the  Board  of  Governors. 
In  the  "Rules  and  Regulations"  of  the  Board,  pub- 
lished in  1 85 1,  the  admission  of  students  was  author- 
ized in  the  following  terms  : 

"  In  order  to  render  the  hospital,  as  far  as  it  may 


CROSBY  STREET.  ■  8 1 

consist  with  the  welfare  of  the  patients,  conducive  to 
the  advancement  of  medical  science,  the  physicians 
and  surgeons  may  provide  among  themselves  adequate 
and  regular  practical  instruction,  by  observations  ac- 
companying operations,  by  clinical  lectures  or  other- 
wise, to  the  students  admitted  to  see  the  practice  of 
the  house,  during  the  ordinary  periods  of  lectures  at 
the  medical  institutions  of  the  city,  and  longer  if 
deemed  expedient." 

The  plan  was  immediately  carried  into  effect  and 
its  advantages  appreciated.  In  the  annual  report  of 
the  Medical  Board  of  the  hospital  for  1851  it  is  said 
that  "  clinical  lectures  have  been  given  regularly  at 
the  hospital  during  the  fall  and  winter  months,  and 
numerous  surgical  operations  performed,  which  have 
been  attended  by  classes  of  medical  students  number- 
ing from  fifty  to  two  hundred  and  fifty."  Medical  in- 
struction was  thus  more  amply  provided  for  than  at 
any  former  period.  The  college  clinics  exhibited  the 
early  stages  or  milder  forms  of  disease ;  while  cases  of 
graver  character  or  more  advanced  condition  were  to 
be  seen  at  the  New  York  and  Bellevue  hospitals.  In 
both  these  institutions  the  College  was  represented  ; 
at  the  New  York  hospital  by  Dr.  Joseph  M.  Smith, 
attending  physician,  and  at  Bellevue  by  Dr.  Parker, 
attending  surgeon,  and  Drs.  Oilman  and  Clark,  attend- 
ing physicians. 

Another  noteworthy  event  was  the  legalization  of 
practical  a7iatomy  by  act  of  the  legislature  in  1854. 
This  had  long  been  an  object  of  earnest  desire  with  all 


82  THE   COLLEGE  LN 

interested  in  medical  education.  The  only  sources  ot 
supply  for  anatomical  material  under  existing-  laws,  in 
the  State  of  New  York,  were  the  unclaimed  bodies  of 
convicts  dying  in  the  State  prisons  at  Sing  Sing  and 
Auburn  ;  and  these  were  entirely  inadequate  for  the 
purposes  required.  In  1843  and  1844  attempts  were 
made  to  remedy  the  evil  by  the  introduction  of  a  bill 
authorizing  the  use  of  unclaimed  bodies  from  all  the 
public  penal  and  charitable  institutions  of  the  State. 
The  county  medical  societies  of  Erie  and  Onondaga 
officially  addressed  the  State  Medical  Society,  asking 
its  cooperation  in  favor  of  the  proposed  law.  But  the 
committee  of  the  State  Society,  to  which  the  matter 
was  referred,  reported  that  "  in  view  of  the  present 
state  of  the  public  mind,"  it  would  be  inexpedient  to 
take  action  at  that  time  ;  and  the  subject  was  accord- 
ingly dropped.  It  was  taken  up  afresh  in  1853,  when 
a  similar  bill  was  framed  and  advocated  by  a  few  med- 
ical men  who  were  members  of  the  legislature.  Dr. 
Alonzo  Clark,  then  president  of  the  State  Medical 
Society,  in  his  anniversary  address  delivered  before 
the  society  and  the  legislature  in  joint  session,  strongly 
urged  its  adoption,  using  every  effort  to  demonstrate 
its  propriety  and  to  dissipate  the  prejudice  against  it. 
He  was  so  nearly  successful  that  the  bill  passed  the 
Assembly,  but  was  unexpectedly  lost  in  the  Senate. 

In  the  following  year  the  attempt  was  again  re- 
newed. The  bill  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  Hon. 
Frederick  A.  Conkling,  who  introduced  and  supported 
it  in  the  legislature  with  much  earnestness  and  discre- 


CROSBY  STREET.  83 

tion.  Dr.  Parker,  with  other  medical  men  from  New 
York,  spent  much  time  at  Albany,  explaining  its  object 
and  justifying  its  provisions  to  the  members  of  the 
legislature.  At  the  instance  of  the  Queen's  county 
medical  society,  the  State  society  adopted  resolutions 
approving  the  bill  and  recommending  its  passage  ; 
and  Dr.  Sprague,  the  president  of  the  State  society 
for  that  year,  made  a  strong  appeal  in  its  behalf. 
These  combined  efforts  at  last  effected  the  object  ; 
and  the  bill  entitled  "  An  Act  to  promote  Medical 
Science"  was  passed  April  ist,  1854. 

The  good  effect  of  this  measure  was  at  once  ap- 
parent. Teachers  of  anatomy  were  enabled  to  make 
their  instruction  demonstrative  and  practical,  without 
being  compelled  to  rely  on  the  uncertain  and  illegal 
aid  of  resurrectionists.  The  college  catalogue  for 
1855  announces  that  the  preceding  session  has  been 
"  distinguished  by  a  new  element  of  success."  . 
"  Thanks  to  the  enlightened  liberality  of  the  legislature 
who  passed  the  Anatomical  Bill,  the  supply  of  sub- 
jects has  not  only  been  ample,  but  it  has  been  obtained 
without  the  difficulties  and  dangers  of  former  years." 
At  that  time  Massachusetts  was  the  only  state  already 
provided  with  a  general  anatomical  law  of  this  kind. 
Since  then  enactments  similar  or  equivalent  to  that  of 
New  York  have  been  adopted  in  twenty-one  other 
states  of  the  Union. 

The  progress  of  the  profession  during  this  period 
was  also  marked  by  the  formation  of  the  pathological 
society  and  the  academy  of  medicine.     The  Patholog- 


84  THE   COLLEGE  LN 

ical  Society  originated  in  1844  by  the  association  of 
twenty-three  medical  men,  including  several  of  the 
professors  and  lecturers  in  the  College.  For  some 
months  the  society  met  at  the  offices  of  its  various 
members  ;  but  after  the  first  year  its  meetings  were 
held  in  the  anatomical  theatre  of  the  College,  where 
o-reater  facilities  were  afforded  for  the  exhibition  of 
specimens  and  the  accommodation  of  the  audience. 
At  the  end  of  two  years  its  original  membership  had 
more  than  doubled  ;  and  since  then  it  has  continued 
to  grow  in  prosperity,  and  in  the  interest  and  useful- 
ness of  its  proceedings.  In  1886  it  received  an  en- 
dowment of  Five  Thousand  dollars  from  Dr.  Middleton 
Goldsmith,  of  Rutland,  Vermont,  one  of  its  original 
members  and  a  graduate  of  the  College  in  the  class  of 
1840,  to  establish,  under  the  auspices  of  the  society, 
periodical  lectures  on  subjects  connected  with  path- 
ology. The  society  now  numbers  over  two  hundred 
members. 

The  New  York  Academy  of  Medicine  was  organ- 
ized in  1847  for  the  cultivation  of  medical  knowledge 
by  oral  and  written  communications,  and  for  maintain- 
ing, by  precept  and  example,  an  elevated  tone  of  pro- 
fessional feeling.  It  was  intended  to  "  represent  if 
not  embrace  "  the  great  mass  of  regular  practitioners 
in  the  city.  Its  first  president  was  Dr.  John  Stearns, 
a  graduate  and  former  trustee  of  the  College  ;  its 
treasurer  was  professor  Watts  ;  and  upon  its  standing 
committees  were  Drs.  Alexander  H.  Stevens,  Edward 
Delafield,  John  B.  Beck,  Willard' Parker,  and  Joseph 


CROSBY  STREET.  85 

M.  Smith.  Almost  immediately  the  academy  became 
the  recognized  place  of  discussion  for  prominent  ques- 
tions of  medical  interest,  and  for  the  presentation  of 
new  views,  theories  or  observations.  It  added  much 
to  the  opportunities  for  mutual  criticism  and  improve- 
ment, and  opened  for  its  members  a  new  and  useful 
field  of  professional  activity. 

In  all  these  movements  to  promote  the  interests  of 
the  profession,  the  College  had  an  important  share. 
Its  officers  and  teachers  were  among  the  most  active 
in  furthering  every  design  for  the  advancement  ot 
medical  knowledge  or  the  welfare  of  medical  practi- 
tioners ;  and  it  was  always  an  advocate  for  means  of 
improvement  and  progress.  It  was  beginning  to  re- 
pay, after  many  years,  the  earnest  devotion  of  its 
founders,  and  the  persevering  efforts  of  its  faculty, 
friends  and  graduates.  It  was  aided  in  its  growth  by 
the  increased  facilities  for  medical  instruction  in  the 
city  at  large,  to  which  it  contributed  in  great  measure 
by  its  own  exertions  and  influence. 


CHAPTER  V. 

CHANGES  IN  THE  FACULTY. 
185I-1858. 

Owing  to  changes  by.  death  and  resignation  during 
the  stay  of  the  College  in  Crosby  street,  the  faculty 
lost  some  of  its  most  prominent  members ;  and  the  ar- 
rangement of  professorships  was  somewhat  modified, 
in  order  to  supply  the  vacant  places. 

As  early  as  1842  the  professor  of  materia  medica. 
Dr.  John  B.  Beck,  began  to  show  the  symptoms  of 
a  deep-seated  malady  which  greatly  affected  his 
strength.  For  the  next  three  years  he  suffered  from 
frequently  recurring  attacks  ;  until  he  became  a  con- 
firmed invalid,  able  to  perform  his  duties  only  by  the 
exercise  of  great  perseverance  and  determination. 
,He  was  at  last  completely  disabled  by  the  progress  of 
his  disease,  which  terminated  fatally  in  1851. 

Dr.  Beck  was  a  graduate  of  the  College  in  the 
class  of  18 1 7.  His  inaugural  dissertation  on  Infanti- 
cide, published  the  same  year,  was  everywhere  re- 
garded as  an  accurate,  judicious  and  exhaustive  treat- 
ise, showing  the  early  bent  of  his  talent  toward  medi- 
cal jurisprudence.  In  1822  he  was  associated  with 
Drs.  Dyckman  and  Francis  in  establishing  the  New 
York   Medical  and  Physical  y ournal,    of  which   he 


CHANGES  IN  THE  FACULTY.  87 

was  for  several  years  the  chief  editor.  This  journal 
was  very  successful.  It  took  the  place  of  its  vener- 
able predecessor,  the  "  Medical  Repository,"  and 
was  continued  in  1830  under  the  name  of  the 
"  New  York  Medical  Journal."  Dr.  Beck  devoted  to 
it  much  of  his  time  and  contributed  many  articles  to 
its  pages.  In  1829  he  delivered  at  the  College  an  in- 
troductory lecture  on  the  Higher  Departments  of  Edu- 
cation j  in  1830  one  on  the  Analysis  of  the  Study  of 
Medicine  '  and  in  1839  a  valedictory  to  the  graduat- 
ing class  on  the  Means  of  Professional  Eminence  /  all 
showing  an  enlightened  and  hearty  appreciation  of  the 
dignity  of  medical  art.  In  1842  he  was  president  of 
the  Medical  Society  of  the  State  of  New  York,  his  ad- 
dress on  the  occasion  being  a  History  of  American 
Medicine  before  the  Revolution  /  a  valuable  and 
interesting  record,  illustrating  the  early  growth  of 
our  medical  legislation,  modes  of  practice,  hospitals, 
medical  education  and  medical  literature.  In  1849 
he  published  his  most  important  work,  Essays  on 
Infant  Therapeutics,  which  was  received  with  great 
favor  and  appeared  after  his  death  in  a  second  edi- 
tion, in  1855,  His  Lectures  on  Materia  Medica 
and  Therapeutics  were  printed  in  1851,  under  the 
editorship  of  Dr.  Oilman,  and  went  through  two  sub- 
sequent editions. 

In  his  own  department  Dr.  Beck  was  "  impregna- 
ble ;  "  his  knowledge  being  both  extensive  and  accu- 
rate. As  a  teacher  his  reputation  was  early  estab- 
lished, and  continued  to  increase  throughout  his  life. 


88  CHANGES  IN 

He  was  most  earnest  and  efficient  in  support  of  the 
College  during-  the  time  of  its  adversity,  and  always 
prompt  in  its  defence  against  cavil  or  aggression. 
The  salient  points  of  his  character  are  given  in  a  feel- 
ing memorial,  written  by  his  friend  and  colleague,  Dr. 
Oilman.  He  combined  energy  of  action  with  steadi- 
ness of  purpose  ;  and  his  clearness  of  perception  was 
equally  remarkable  in  scientific  and  practical  affairs. 
He  was  uncompromising  in  his  aversion  for  fraud  or 
pretension  of  every  kind,  and  outspoken  in  the  mani- 
festation of  his  disapproval.  His  loss,  both  as  pro- 
fessor and  associate,  was  deeply  felt  by  all  connected 
with  the  College. 

On  the  death  of  Dr.  Beck  his  chair  was  filled  by 
Dr.  Elisha  Bartlett,  a  graduate  in  medicine  of  Brown 
University,  Rhode  Island.  He  was  a  man  of  singu- 
larly engaging  manners  and  great  facility  of  expres- 
sion, both  in  writing  and  speaking.  The  early  part  of 
his  professional  life  was  passed  as  a  practitioner  in 
Lowell,  Massachusetts,  where  he  became  universally 
popular.  In  1836  he  was  elected  mayor  of  the  city, 
and  afterward,  for  several  sessions,  a  member  of  the 
Massachusetts  legislature ;  in  both  of  which  positions 
he  was  conspicuous  for  his  readiness  and  fluency  in 
public  addresses.  This  accomplishment,  added  to  his 
professional  knowledge,  gave  him  superior  qualifica- 
tions as  a  teacher  ;  and  at  the  time  of  his  connection 
with  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  he  had 
lectured  with  success  in  five  or  six  medical  schools  in 
different    parts    of  the    country.     He    delivered    the 


THE  FACULTY.  89 

course  on  Materia  Medica  and  Medical  Jurisprudence 
for  the  session  beginning  in  185 1,  and  was  duly  ap- 
pointed professor  of  these  branches  in  1852. 

His  writings  gained  a  wide  reputation  for  their  at- 
tractive style  and  the  variety  and  abundance  of  their 
information.  Some  were  addresses  on  occasional 
topics ;  others,  dissertations  more  or  less  philosophical 
in  character.  He  was  the  author  of  an  introductory 
lecture  on  the  Objects  and  Nature  of  Medical  Science, 
Lexington,' Kentucky,  1841  ;  an  essay  on  the  Philo- 
sophy of  Medical  Science,  Philadelphia,  1844;  and -an 
Inquiry  into  the  Degree  of  Certainty  in  Medicine, 
Philadelphia,  1848.  The  work  usually  considered  as 
his  best  was  that  on  the  History,  Diagnosis  and 
Treatment  of  Typhoid  and  of  Typhus  Fever,  Philadel- 
phia, 1842.  It  was  reissued  in  1847,  and  again  in 
1852,  in  an  enlarged  form,  as  the  History,  Diagnosis 
and  Treatment  of  the  Fevers  of  the  United  States. 
On  commencing  his  course  at  the  College  as  professor 
in  1852,  he  delivered  an  introductory  lecture  on 
the  Times,  Character  and  Writings  of  Hippocrates. 
This  lecture,  which  was  published  by  the  class,  is  one 
of  his  most  characteristic  productions  ;  containing  the 
evidence  of  much  learning  and  research,  relieved  by 
frequent  touches  of  playful  description  and  poetic 
fancy. 

But  Dr.  Bartlett  was  able  to  continue  the  labors  of 
his  professorship  for  only  a  short  time.  He  was 
already  suffering  from  a  painful  affection,  which  in- 
creased in  severity  during  the  following  year  ;  and  in 


90  CHANGES  IN 

1853  he  was  compelled  to  relinquish  active  occupation. 
In  the  hope  that  he  might  be  restored  to  health  and 
usefulness,  his  colleagues  for  two  years  divided  his 
duties  among  them ;  but  his  condition  became  steadily 
worse,  and  in  May,  1855,  he  transmitted  his  resigna- 
tion to  the  authorities  of  the  College.  His  death  took 
place  in  July  of  the  same  year. 

This  was  the  occasion  of  a  partial  redistribution  of 
subjects  among  the  remaining  professors.  In  1847 
an  additional  chair  had  been  created  in  the  College, 
entitled  the  chair  of  "  Physiology  and  Pathology." 
Neither  of  these  subjects  under  the  arrangement  then 
existing,  could  be  taught  with  sufficient  completeness 
to  meet  the  requirements  of  the  time.  Pathology  was 
wholly  unprovided  for,  except  as  each  professor  might 
give  it  his  incidental  attention.  Physiology  was 
hardly  more  than  an  appendage  to  the  chair  of  ana- 
tomy;  to  be  treated  in  a  cursory  way,  by  stating  the 
function  of  an  organ  after  the  description  of  its  ana- 
tomical structure.  But  such  a  combination  of  the  two 
most  essential  elementary  branches  was  now  far  from 
satisfactory ;  and  the  professor  of  anatomy  and  physi- 
ology could  no  longer  perform  his  double  duty  with- 
out slighting  in  some  degree  either  one  subject  or  the 
other.  It  was  deemed  almost  indispensable,  for  the 
continued  improvement  of  the  College,  that  physi- 
ology should  be  separated  from  anatomy ;  and  further- 
more, that  a  new  department  should  be  established, 
embracing  the  subjects  of  physiolgy  and  pathology. 

Accordingly,  on  the  recommendation  of  the  faculty, 


THE  FACULTY.  9 1 

the  Board  of  Trustees  addressed   a  memorial  to  the 
Regents  of  the  University,  in  the  following  terms: 

"  The  subject  of  physiology  is  now  confided  to  the 
professor  of  anatomy.  It  has  been  found,  however, 
that  anatomy  is  required  to  be  taught  so  minutely,  to 
meet  the  wants  of  the  students,  that  it  is  impossible 
for  the  same  professor  to  do  justice  to  the  other 
branch.  On  the  other  hand,  the  recent  application  of 
improved  microscopes  to  healthy  and  diseased  struct- 
ures, together  with  the  great  advances  in  the  depart- 
ment of  animal  chemistry,  and  the  light  it  has  shed 
on  the  constitution  of  our  bodies  in  health  and  dis- 
ease, and  upon  healthy  and  disordered  functions, 
leave  an  hiatus  in  these  departments  so  great  that,  in 
the  unanimous  opinion  of  the  Board,  a  new  professor- 
ship is  required." 

The  chair  of  Physiology  and  Pathology  was  there- 
fore created,  and  in  1847  Dr.  Alonzo  Clark  was  ap- 
pointed Lecturer  on  these  branches.  Dr.  Clark  was 
a  graduate  of  the  College  in  the  class  of  1835.  While 
still  a  pupil  he  had  served  as  assistant  in  the  depart- 
ment of  chemistry  ;  and  since  his  graduation  he  had 
been  almost  constantly  occupied  with  pathology  and 
the  microscopic  examination  of  healthy  and  morbid 
tissues.  His  known  proficiency  in  these  respects 
made  him  peculiarly  fitted  for  the  new  professor- 
ship ;  and  he  had  also  shown  the  necessary  talent  for 
imparting  instruction.  He  had  lectured  at  the  Col- 
lege for  several  years  in  the  Spring  course  ;  and  since 
1842  he  had  been  professor  of  pathology  in  the  Berk- 


92  CHANGES  IN 

shire  Medical  Institution  at  Pittsfield,  Massachusetts, 
and  in  the  medical  college  at  Woodstock,  Vermont. 

After  his  appointment  in  the  College  of  Physi- 
cians and  Surgeons  he  performed  the  duties  of  lect- 
urer for  the  following  session  with  entire  success. 
Toward  the  end  of  the  term  the  president  of  the  Col- 
lege, Dr.  Stevens,  informed  the  Trustees  that  the 
lectures  in  the  new  department  "  had  been  regularly 
given,  and  had  been  listened  to  with  great  interest ;  " 
and  that  Dr.  Clark  had  "  fully  realized  the  high  ex- 
pectations which  were  entertained  of  his  ability."  He 
was  immediately  recommended  to  the  Regents  of  the 
University,  and  early  in  1848  was  appointed  professor 
of  physiology  and  pathology. 

This  proved  a  valuable  enlargement  of  the  curri- 
culum, and  was  noticed  as  follows  in  the  college  cat- 
alogue for  1852.  "The  course  on  Physiology  and 
Pathology  has  been  a  very  important  addition  to  the 
regular  course  of  instruction,  and  is  the  only  course 
of  the  kind  given  in  this  country.  The  Lectures  on 
Physiology  embrace  the  minute  anatomy  of  the  Tis- 
sues, and  are  amply  illustrated  by  magnified  drawings, 
and  by  frequent  demonstrations  under  the  microscope. 
The  course  on  Pathology  is  equally  full,  and  is  con- 
stantly enriched  by  the  exhibition  and  demonstration 
of  recent  specimens  illustrating  the  various  changes 
produced  in  tissues  and  organs  by  disease." 

But  after  some  years  spent  in  this  professorship, 
Dr.  Clark's  attention  was  drawn  to  the  more  practical 
departments  of  medicine.     He   assisted  his  colleagues 


THE  FACULTY.  93 

during  the  illness  of  Dr.  Bartlett,  in  1853  and  1854, 
by  delivering  a  part  of  the  course  on  theory  and  prac- 
tice ;  and  when  the  chair  of  materia  medica  was  va- 
cated by  Dr.  Bartlett's  resignation  in  1855  a  re- 
arrangement of  the  professorships  took  place.  Dr. 
Joseph  M.  Smith  became  professor  of  "  Materia 
Medica  and  Clinical  Medicine  ;  "  and  Dr.  Clark  was 
made  professor  of  "  Pathology  and  Practical  Medi- 
cine." At  the  same  time  physiology  assumed  a  more 
independent  position  than  before,  under  the  name 
of  "  Physiology  and  Microscopic  Anatomy ;  "  and  this 
chair  was  filled  by  the  appointment  of  Dr.  John  C. 
Daltoriy  who  had  acted  as  lecturer  in  the  session  of 

1854-5- 

In  the  same  year  Dr.  Torrey  resigned  the  profes- 
sorship of  chemistry.  He  was  led  to  this  mainly  by 
the  pressure  of  his  engagements  in  the  United  States 
Assay  Office,  of  which  he  had  been  appointed  super- 
intendent in  1853.  The  lectures  on  chemistry  for 
1855-6  were  given  by  Dr.  John  Le  Conte ;  but  in  the 
following  year  the  duties  of  this  chair  were  performed 
by  Dr.  Samuel  St.  yohn,  who  was  already  a  teacher 
of  this  branch  in  the  medical  college  at  Cleveland, 
Ohio.  He  was  regularly  appointed  professor  of  chem- 
istry in  1857. 

Finally  the  president,  Dr.  Alexander  H.  Stevens, 
resigned  his  office  in  November,  1855.  He  had  at- 
tended the  first  course  of  lectures  at  the  College  in 
1807  ;  at  which  time  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age, 
and  a  pupil  of  Dr.  Miller,  the  professor  of  the  practice 


94  CHANGES  IN  '      ■ 

of  physic.     He   became   a  member  of  the   Board   of 
Trustees  in    1820;   professor  of  surgery  at  the  reor- 
ganization of  the  College  in  1826  ;   and  at  the  time  of 
his    resignation    he   had   served  for  twelve    years    as 
president.     He  was  for  twenty-two  years  visiting  sur- 
geon to  the  New  York  Hospital  while  it  was  the  only 
institution  of  its  kind   in  the  city,  and  afterward  con- 
sulting surgeon  to  both  the  New  York  and  Bellevue 
hospitals.       Throughout    his    active    service    he    was 
prominent  for  his  popularity  and  success  as  a  clinical 
teacher.     According  to   his   biographer,    Dr.   Adams, 
none  of  those  who   heard   him  could   fail   to    be   im- 
pressed with  his  "peculiar  aptitude  for  this  depart- 
ment, the  kindness  of  his  manner  toward  the  suffering, 
his  avoidance  of  unnecessary  manipulations,  his  accu- 
racy of  diagnosis  and  felicity  of  illustration."     In  the 
lecture  room  his  language  was  "  familiar,  but  emphatic 
and  impressive."     As  an  operator  he  was  "  cautious, 
deliberate,  and  full  of  resources  in  unexpected  compli- 
cations."     His    judgment   and    skill   were    eminently 
practical,  and  could  always  be  relied  on   in  times  of 
difficulty  or  danger.     In  the  cholera  epidemic  of  1832, 
which  caused  at  its  height  over  one  hundred  deaths  in 
a  day,  and  produced  in  the  city  a  wide-spread  panic, 
he  was  appointed  by  the  Board  of  Health  president  of 
a  Special  Medical  Council  for  the  supervision  of  all 
public  sanitary  matters,  holding  daily  sessions  through- 
out July  and  August.     Of  this   council   Dr.  Stevens 
was  the  "master  spirit;"  directing  its  operations  and 
preparing  its  documents  and  reports. 


THE  FACULTY.  95 

He  was  one  of  those  who  called  the  first  meeting- 
for  the  formation  of  the  New  York  Academy  of  Medi- 
cine in  1847.  He  was  elected  president  of  the  Ameri- 
can Medical  Association  at  its  annual  meeting  in  1848. 
He  was  president  of  the  Medical  Society  of  the  State 
of  New  York  in  1849  and  1850;  and  of  the  New  York 
Academy  of  Medicine  in  1851. 

His  earliest  work  was  a  translation  of  Boyer's 
Treatise  on  Stirgical  Diseases,  New  York,  18 15. 
From  18 18  to  1841  he  contributed  a  variety  of  articles 
on  surgery,  surgical  anatomy,  and  midwifery  to  the 
Medical  Repository,  the  Medical  and  Stirgical  Regis- 
ter, the  Isfew  York  Medical  and  Physical  journal, 
and  the  JVew  York  Journal  of  Medicine  and  Surgery. 
In  1837  ^^  published  a  clinical  lecture  on  the  Primary 
Treatjnent  of  Injtiries  j  in  the  same  year  Lectures  on 
Lithotomy,  given  at  the  New  York  Hospital ;  and  in 
1847  he  delivered  the  Valedictory  Address  at  the 
College,  a  discourse  full  of  sound,  practical  advice  to 
the  graduating  class. 

His  address  as  president  of  the  State  Medical  So- 
ciety in  1849  was  a  Plea  of  Humanity  in  Behalf  of 
Medical  Education,  intended  to  arouse  interest  on 
this  subject  in  the  profession  and  the  legislature.  It 
gave  an  extended  review  of  the  benefits  conferred  on 
society  through  the  labors  of  medical  men  ;  including 
inoculation  and  vaccination,  the  establishment  of  hos- 
pitals, the  improved  treatment  of  the  insane,  the  in- 
struction of  the  blind  and  dumb,  applications  of  science 
to  the  arts  and  agriculture,  and  the  diminution  of  the 


96  CHANGES  IN 

death-rate  by  remedial  and  hygienic  means.  In  the 
following  year  his  address  was  on  Public  Health,  con- 
taining suggestions  for  First,  a  sanitary  survey  of  the 
State,  to  determine  the  nature  and  extent  of  the  exist- 
ing sources  of  preventable  disease  ;  and  Secondly,  the 
formation  of  a  State  medical  bureau,  to  consider  mat- 
ters of  legislation  affecting  the  public  health. 

On  the  retirement  of  Dr.  Stevens  from  the  presi- 
dency of  the  College,  the  Board  of  Trustees  adopted 
resolutions  testifying  their  "deep  regret"  at  his  resig- 
nation. It  was  also  ''Resolved,  that  the  interest  he 
has  uniformly  shown  in  the  welfare  of  the  College,  his 
incessant  vigilance  in  watching  over  its  affairs,  and  the 
earnest  zeal  with  which  he  has  either  originated  or 
forwarded  every  improvement  in  its  organization,  have 
secured  to  him  the  respect  and  good  will  of  the  Board 
over  which  he  has  so  long  presided ;  also.  Resolved, 
that,  cherishing  these  sentiments  toward  their  late 
president,  the  Board  is  unwilling  to  part  with  him 
without  expressing  their  continued  interest  in  his  wel- 
fare, and  the  hope  that  he  may  realize,  in  retiring  from 
public  life,  the  peace  and  happiness  which  he  has  so 
richly  earned  in  a  long  life  of  professional  eminence 
and  active  exertion  for  the  good  of  his  profession  and 
the  public  at  large." 

Long  after  his  withdrawal  from  office.  Dr.  Stevens 
continued  to  evince  a  warm  interest  in  the  College  ; 
often  visiting  it  during  the  lecture  season,  and  attend 
ing  its  inaugural  or  commencement  exercises.  His 
presence  on  these  occasions  was  welcome  to -young 


THE  FACULTY.  97 

and  old.  His  noble  features,  with  their  sedate  but 
kindly  expression,  and  the  childlike  simplicity  of  his 
disposition,  combined  with  firmness  and  dignity  of 
character,  marked  him  as  the  possessor  of  superior 
qualities  and  won  from  his  associates  the  general 
tribute  of  their  esteem.  He  died  in  1869,  at  the  age  of 
eighty  years. 

Soon  after  Dr.  Stevens'  resignation  Dr.  Thomas 
Cock  was  appointed  president  of  the  College.  He 
was  already  seventy-three  years  of  age,  having  grad- 
uated from  the  former  medical  school  of  Columbia 
College  in  1805  ;  and  for  nearly  thirty  years  he  had 
been  vice  president  of  the  College  of  Physicians  and 
Surgeons.  He  was  visiting  physician  to  the  New 
York  Hospital  from  1819  to  1834,  and  president  of 
the  New  York  Academy  of  Medicine  in  1852  ;  and  he 
was  interested  in  various  public  philanthropic  institu- 
tions. His  character  was  marked  by  an  unvarying 
equanimity,  and  by  faithfulness  and  punctuality  in  the 
performance  of  his  duties.  But  the  infirmities  connected 
with  his  advanced  years  interfered  with  his  continued 
activity  in  the  affairs  of  the  College  ;  and  he  resigned 
the  presidency  in  1858.  His  successor  was  Dr.  Ed- 
ward Delafield,  the  former  professor  of  obstetrics. 

7 


CHAPTER    VI. 

REMOVAL    TO    TWENTY-THIRD    STREET. 

UNION    WITH    COLUMBIA    COLLEGE. 

1856-1860. 

By  this  time  the  College  had  been  transferred 
from  Crosby  street  to  a  new  location  at  the  corner  of 
Twenty-third  street  and  Fourth  Avenue.  Reasons 
like  those  which  had  caused  its  previous  removal 
were  now  again  operative  ;  namely,  the  upward  move- 
ment of  the  resident  population  and  the  adjacent 
growth  of  commercial  and  manufacturing  establish- 
ments unfavorable  to  the  business  of  the  college. 
The  matter  was  first  broached  in  1854,  in  a  commu- 
nication from  the  faculty  to  the  Board  of  Trustees,  by 
whom  it  was  referred  to  a  special  committee.  It  ap- 
peared evident  to  the  friends  of  the  institution  that 
such  a  change  was  already  desirable,  and  likely  to 
become  before  long  "  imperatively  necessary."  But 
it  involved  many  difficulties  of  a  financial  nature.  The 
Crosby  street  property  was  so  far  encumbered  that 
its  sale  would  leave  little  to  be  realized  for  a  building 
fund  ;  and  the  cost  of  a  new  site  and  structure  must 
be  provided  for  mainly  from  other  sources.  These 
difficulties  were  at  last   overcome,  for  the  most  part 


REMOVAL    TO    TWENTY-THIRD   STREET.  99 

through  the  zeal  and  energy  of  Dr.  Parker  and  the 
cooperation  of  his  colleagues.  Early  in  1855  several 
vacant  lots,  embracing  seventy-five  feet  on  Twenty- 
third  street  by  about  one  hundred  feet  on  Fourth  Av- 
enue, were  selected  as  the  location  for  the  College. 
The  land  was  purchased  by  Dr.  Parker  for  $35,000  ; 
and  on  the  fifth  of  May  this  purchase,  together  with 
building  plans  and  estimates,  was  considered  and  ap- 
proved by  the  Board  of  Trustees.  At  the  same  time 
the  committee  on  this  subject  was  authorized  to  dis- 
pose of  the  Crosby  street  property,  and  to  apply  its 
proceeds  toward  the  cost  of  the  new  establishment. 
The  work  proceeded  accordingly,  and  by  the  end  of 
the  year  was  so  far  completed  that  it  was  determined 
to  remove  the  College  during  the  winter  holidays. 
The  removal  took  place,  and  the  new  building  was 
inaugurated,  with  an  address  from  the  president.  Dr. 
Delafield,  January  22d,  1856. 

The  building  was  of  brick  and  brown-stone,  four 
stories  in  height,  nearly  one  hundred  feet  deep  on 
Fourth  Avenue  and  sixty  feet  wide  on  Twenty-third 
street ;  leaving  on  its  easterly  side  a  court  yard  fifteen 
feet  in  width,  for  light  and  air.  The  first  story  was  oc- 
cupied by  stores  opening  on  Fourth  Avenue  and  rented 
for  business  purposes.  On  the  Twenty-third  street 
front  a  double  flight  of  stone  steps  led  to  the  main  en- 
trance on  the  second  floor.  This  story  was  occupied 
by  a  lecture  room,  forty-five  feet  by  fifty ;  with  the 
laboratory  of  the  chemical  professor  in  the  rear,  and 
various  offices  and  private  rooms  on  the  westerly  side. 


lOO 


REMOVAL    TO 


The  third  floor  contained  the  anatomical  museum, 
forty  feet  by  eighteen  ;  the  amphitheatre,  forty-five 
feet  by  fifty,  to  seat  an  audience  of  a  httle  over  three 
hundred ;  with  private  rooms,  and  waiting  and  ex- 
amination rooms  for  cHnical  patients ;  and  anatomi- 
cal and  physiological  preparation  rooms.  In  the 
fourth   story,  which   was   lighted   only  from  the  roof, 


The  College  Building  in   Twenty-third  Street. 

1856-1887. 
1 

From  the  Annual  Catalogue  for  1863. 

was  the  general  dissecting  room,  accommodating 
twenty-five  tables.  The  building  was  warmed  by  a 
hot  air  furnace  in  the  cellar  for  the  halls  and  lecture 
rooms,  and  by  stoves  and  fire  places  for  the  private 
rooms.  Gas  light?  and  Croton  water  were  generally 
distributed. 

The  transfer  of  the  College  to  its  new  quarters  was 
not  effected  without  strenuous  exertion  on  the  part  of 


TWENTY-THIRD   STREET.  lOl 

the  faculty.  The  expense  of  the  building  and  its  fur- 
niture was  $55,930;  making  the  total  cost  of  land 
and  building  over  $90,000.  To  meet  this  charge  but 
little  more  than  $9,000  remained  in  the  hands  of  the 
Trustees  after  the  disposal  of  the  Crosby  street  prop- 
erty. Dr.  Parker  advanced  $60,723,  secured  by  bond 
and  mortgage;  and  the  remaining  sum  of  $21,000 
was  supplied  by  the  professors,  in  the  form  of  a  loan 
without  interest.  Much  care  was  needed  to  secure 
the  success  of  the  enterprise,  with  due  adjustment  of 
the  various  interests  involved.  It  was  finally  accom- 
plished ;  although  many  years  elapsed  before  the  • 
college  finances  were  reduced  to  a  more  simple  and 
satisfactory  condition. 

Soon  after  the  removal  to  Twenty-third  street,  the 
faculty  of  the  College  was  as  follows  : 

THE    FACULTY    IN    I 858. 

Edward  Delafield,  M.D.,  President. 

Joseph  M.  Smith,  M.D.,  Professor  of  Materia  Medica 

and  Clinical  Medicine. 
Robert  Watts,  M.D.,  Professor  of  Anatomy. 
Willard  Parker,  M.D.,  Professor  of  the  Principles 

and  Practice  of  Surgery. 
Chandler  R.  Oilman,  M.D.,  Professor  of  Obstetrics 

and  the  Diseases  of  Women  and  Children. 
Alonzo   Clark,    M.D.,    Professor   of  Pathology   and 

Practical  Medicine. 
John  C.  Dalton,  M.D.,  Professor  of  Physiology  and 

Microscopic  Anatomy. 
Samuel  St.  John,  M.D.,  Professor  of  Chemistry. 


I02  UNION  WITH 

For  the  next  seven  years  the  faculty  remained  the 
same.  After  that  time  it  began  to  suffer  changes 
by  death  and  resignation ;  but  its  membership  was 
not  completely  renewed  until  twenty-five  years  had 
elapsed. 

In  i860  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons 
was  made  independent  of  the  Regents  of  the  Univer- 
sity, and  became  the  Medical  Department  of  Colum- 
bia College.  The  former  of  these  changes  was  desir- 
able on  account  of  certain  difficulties  in  the  practical 
management  of  affairs,  which  had  become  more 
troublesome  with  the  increasing  growth  of  the  Col- 
lege. All  the  immediate  business  of  the  institution 
was  transacted  in  the  city  of  New  York.  Everything 
connected  with  the  courses  of  instruction,  the  exami- 
nation of  candidates,  the  commencement  exercises, 
the  selection  of  proper  persons  to  be  recommended 
for  professors  or  lecturers,  or  for  new  members  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees,  with  other  matters  of  incidental 
importance,  required  the  personal  attention  of  the 
faculty  and  trustees,  who  were  directly  responsible 
for  the  result.  But  the  ultimate  authority  for  all  such 
proceedings  was  in  the  Regents  of  the  University  of 
the  State  of  New  York.  The  assent  of  this  body  was 
necessary  for  the  issuing  of  each  diploma,  for  the 
appointment  of  every  new  professor  or  trustee,  and 
even  for  the  validity  of  by-laws  adopted  by  the  trus- 
tees for  their  own  guidance. 

This    complicated    governmental    machinery    often 


COLUMBIA    COLLEGE.  1 03 

gave  rise  to  serious  inconvenience.  The  Regents 
held  their  meetings  in  the  city  of  Albany  ;  and 
though  abundantly  willing  to  further  in  every  way 
the  interests  of  the  College,  their  concurrence  in 
measures  requiring  promptitude  or  punctuality  could 
not  always  be  obtained  in  due  season.  Every  year, 
after  the  examination  of  candidates  for  graduation,  the 
list  of  those  found  competent  by  the  faculty  and  rec- 
ommended by  the  Trustees  must  be  transmitted  to 
Albany,  the  diplomas  there  made  ready  and  authenti- 
cated, and  then  sent  to  New  York,  to  be  signed  by 
the  president  and  professors  before  they  could  be  de- 
livered to  the  graduates.  There  were  frequent  delays 
and  occasional  failures  in  the  transmission  of  these 
documents  ;  and  to  provide  against  this  contingency 
the  examinations  were  sometimes  commenced  several 
weeks  earlier,  thus  virtually  abridging  the  term,  so  far 
as  the  graduating  class  were  concerned,  for  purposes 
of  instruction. 

In  1859  the  matter  was  brought  before  the  faculty 
and  referred  to  a  committee ;  by  whom,  early  in  the 
following  year,  a  report  was  presented  embodying 
the  above  facts.  A  committee  of  conference  from  the 
Trustees  was  also  appointed,  and  the  subject  consid- 
ered by  the  joint  committee.  In  accordance  with  their 
recommendation .  a  memorial  was  forwarded  to  the 
Regents  soliciting  such  amendment  of  the  charter  as 
should  give  to  the  Board  of  Trustees  the  power  of 
final  action  in  regard  to  graduations,  appointments, 
and  by-laws.     There  was  no  opposition  to  this  scheme 


I04  UNIO-N   WITH 

on  the  part  of  the  Regents  ;  but  in  their  opinion  it 
would  be  of  somewhat  doubtful  legality  unless  sanc- 
tioned by  the  legislature.  It  was  accordingly  re- 
ferred to  that  body ;  and  an  act  was  passed  March 
24th,  i860,  amending  the  charter  of  the  College  as 
follows  : 

"  Section  I.  The  right  reserved  to  the  Regents  of 
the  University,  to  confer  degrees  and  to  appoint  the 
professors  or  teachers  in  the  several  branches  of  medi- 
cal science  in  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons 
in  the  city  of  New  York,  and  of  filling  all  such  vacan- 
cies as  may  arise  among  the  trustees  or  members 
thereof,  are  hereby  granted  to  and  vested  in  the  Trus- 
tees of  the  said  College  ;  and  the  by-laws  which  shall 
from  time  to  time  be  made  by  the  said  Trustees  shall 
be  valid  and  effectual  without  being  confirmed  or  ap- 
proved by  the  said  Regents." 

By  this  act  the  College  was  relieved  from  the  re- 
straints of  Its  subordination  to  the  Board  of  Regents, 
and  enabled  to  transact  Its  business  with  greater 
facility.  But  some  explanation  seems  necessary  to  ac- 
count for  the  ready  concurrence  given  to  this  change, 
and  for  the  willingness  of  the  Regents  to  entrust  to 
other  hands  a  part  of  their  vested  authority ;  especially 
as  on  a  former  occasion  their  assent  had  been  refused 
to  a  similar  but  less  important  request.  As  early  as 
1825  the  Trustees  of  the  College  had  presented  a  me- 
morial praying  that  they  might  be  granted  the  power 
of  making  their  own  by-laws  ;  and  the  committee  of 
the   Reo;ents  to  whom  the   matter  was  referred  had 


COLUMBIA    COLLEGE.  105 

reported  that,  in  their  opinion,  it  would  be  "  inexpe- 
dient to  aboHsh  or  release  the  right  reserved  to  the 
Regents  on  the  subject  of  the  by-laws  of  the  College." 
The  reason  for  the  different  view  taken  by  the  Re- 
gents in  i860  is  to  be  found  in  the  changed  condition 
of  both  the  University  and  the  College.  The  Univer- 
sity of  the  State  of  New  York,  created  by  the  legisla- 
ture in  1784,  was  originally  intended  to  include  under 
its  supervision  and  patronage  all  the  higher  educa- 
tional establishments  in  the  State.  In  1791  it  was 
empowered  to  institute,  as  soon  as  it  might  be  advis- 
able, a  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  and  to 
appoint  professors  or  teachers  therein ;  and  for  twenty 
years  previous  to  1835  it  was  the  only  recognized  au- 
thority in  the  State  for  conferring  medical  degrees. 
But  after  that  time  medical  colleges  began  to  be  incor- 
porated directly  by  the  legislature;  and  in  i860  there 
were  already  a  number  of  such  institutions  independ- 
ent of  the  Regents,  and  empowered  to  grant  diplomas 
under  the  authority  of  their  own  Trustees.*  The 
Regents  were  therefore  less  solicitous  for  retaining  a 
control  which  had  so  largely  diminished  in  impor- 
tance ;  and  on  the  other  hand,  the  College  no  longer 
derived  from  its  connection  with  the  University  the 
same    prestige    as    before.      Both  parties,    moreover, 

*  The  names  of  these  Colleges,  with  their  dates  of  incorporation, 
were  as  follows  :  Medical  Institution  of  Geneva  College,  1835  ;  Medical 
Department  of  the  University  of  the  City  of  New  York,  1837  ;  Albany 
Medical  College,  1839  ;  Medical  Department  of  the  University  of  Buf- 
falo, 1846  ;  New  York  Medical  College,  1850;  Long  Island  College  Hos- 
pital, 1858. 


I06  UNION   WITH 

were  ready  to  adopt  any  measure  which  promised  to 
be  of  practical  benefit  to  the  institution. 

Soon  after  the  above  change  had  been  effected 
negotiations  were  set  on  foot  looking  to  a  union  of 
the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  with  Colum- 
bia College,  as  the  medical  department  of  that  institu- 
tion. Under  the  charter  which  it  already  possessed, 
Columbia  College  was  competent  to  establish  such  a 
department ;  and  after  several  conferences  between 
the  respective  Boards  of  Trustees  the  object  was  ac- 
complished. On  the  fourth  of  June  the  Trustees  of 
Columbia  College  formally  adopted  the  College  of 
Physicians  and  Surgeons  as  its  medical  department ; 
and  on  the  sixth  of  the  same  month  the  Trustees  of 
the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  passed  con- 
current resolutions,  providing  that  the  diplomas  for 
the  degree  of  Doctor  in  Medicine  should  be  "  signed 
by  the  presidents  of  the  respective  colleges  and  by 
the  faculty  of  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Sur- 
geons," and  should  be  "  publicly  conferred  by  the 
president  of  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons, 
sitting  with  the  president  of  Columbia  College."  A 
communication  from  the  president  to  the  faculty,  dated 
June  1 8th,  i860,  officially  announces  that  the  forego- 
ing action  has  been  taken,  and  that  "  the  alliance  be- 
tween the  two  Colleges  is  now  complete." 

By  this  means  a  union  was  effected  between  the 
two  oldest  and  most  prominent  institutions  in  the 
State  for  general  academic  and  professional  education. 
In   their  earlier   history   they  had   already  been  con- 


COLUMBIA    COLLEGE.  107 

nected  with  each  other.  When  the  medical  lectures 
of  Columbia  College  were  suspended  iu  18 13,  it  was 
only  that  the  same  professors  might  continue  their 
courses  under  the  new  organization  ;  and  for  more 
than  ten  years  thereafter  they  constituted  the  faculty 
of  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons.  In  i860, 
four  of  the  trustees  of  Columbia  College  were  also 
trustees  of  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  ; 
and  since  then  the  two  governing  Boards  have  nearly 
always  had  a  number  of  their  members  in  common. 
Their  official  connection  is  thus  strengthened  by  a 
community  of  interest  in  the  two  institutions,  and  by 
personal  acquaintance  with  the  affairs  of  each. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

THE    COLLEGE    IN    TWENTY-THIRD    STREET. 
1856-1887. 

During  the  thirty-one  years  passed  by  the  College 
in  Twenty-third  street  it  exhibited  many  signs  of  pro- 
gress and  development.  Most  of  them  consisted  in 
the  continuation  or  enlaro^ement  of  imorovements 
already  inaugurated,  which  experience  had  shown  to 
be  of  practical  utility.  Others  were  the  outgrowth  of 
recent  times,  bringing  with  them  greater  opportunities 
and  more  exacting  requirements- 

One  of  the  important  events  of  this  period  was  the 
formation  of  the  Association  of  the  Alumni.  Early  in 
1859  an  invitation  was  issued  to  the  graduates  of  the 
College  in  the  following  terms. 

"Sir;  The  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  in- 
stituted in  1807,  has  now  been  in  existence  fifty-two 
years,  and  numbers  more  than  eighteen  hundred  grad- 
uates. Among  them  are  to  be  found  men  of  all  ages 
and  distinguished  in  every  department  of  the  profes- 
sion. It  has  been  thought,  by  some  of  the  alumni, 
that  an  Association,  comprehending  both  the  graduates 
of  the  institution,  and  those  who  have  been  connected 


THE  COLLEGE  LN  TWENTY-THLRD  STREET.      1 09 

with  it,  either  in  its  Faculty  or  as  medical  members  of 
the  Board  of  Trustees,  would  be  eminently  desirable 
by  occasionally  bringing  together  those  who  from 
feelinof  or  association  have  a  common  interest  in  its 
welfare. 

"  Beside  its  good  effects  in  bringing  together  those 
who  have  pursued  their  studies  at  the  same  time,  and 
in  promoting  good  feeling  and  harmony  among  the 
graduates  of  the  College,  such  an  association,  properly 
organized,  could  not  fail  to  exercise,  in  a  variety  of 
ways,  a  beneficial  influence. 

"  At  the  request  of  some  gentlemen  who  have  or- 
ganized temporarily,  and  formed  the  nucleus  of  an  as- 
sociation, Dr.  Alexander  H.  Stevens  has  consented  to 
deliver  an  Address  to  the  Alumni  of  the  College  at 
the  approaching  commencement.  As  an  Alumnus  of 
the  College,  you  are  cordially  invited  to  attend,  on 
Thursday  evening  next,  March  loth,  at  half-past  seven 
o'clock. 

"  For  the  purpose  of  permanently  organizing  the 
association,  a  meeting  of  the  Alumni  will  be  held  on 
Friday,  March  nth,  at  the  residence  of  Dr.  Delafield, 
No.  I  East  Seventeenth  street. 

Edward  Delafield,  M.D.  John  Torrey,  M.D. 

Theo.  L.  Mason,  M.D.  Gurdon  Buck,  M,D. 

John  Watson,  M.D.  Edw°  L.  Beadle,  M.D. 

Benj.  W.  McCready,  M.D.       Abram  Du  Bois,  M.D. 
Tho^  M.  Markoe,  M.D.  W^'  H.  Dudley,  M.D. 

Chauncey  L.  Mitchell,  M.D.     Cha^  M.  Allin,  M.D*. 
Joseph  H.  Vedder,  M.D.        Henry  B.  Sands,  M.D." 


no  THE    COLLEGE  LN 

In  response  to  this  call  about  two  hundred  grad- 
uates assembled,  formed  themselves  into  an  associa- 
tion, and  elected  their  officers  ;  among  them  an  orator 
for  the  ensuing  anniversary. 

For  the  next  five  years  the  proceedings  of  the  as- 
sociation consisted,  as  above,  of  an  address  delivered 
at  the  college  commencement  and  an  annual  meeting 
at  the  house  of  one  of  the  resident  members  for  the 
election  of  officers  and  incidental  business.  But  in 
1864  Dr.  Delafield,  who  was  then  president  of  the  Col- 
lege, offered  a  prize  of  One  Hundred  dollars  for  the 
best  medical  essay  to  be  submitted  by  an  alumnus 
during  the  ensuing  year ;  and  it  was  decided  to  dis- 
pense with  the  anniversary  address.  This  led  soon 
after  to  the  establishment  of  the  "  Alumni  Prize."  At 
the  annual  meetinof  in  1866  it  was  resolved  "that  the 
Association  establish,  as  soon  as  possible,  an  annual 
prize,  of  One  Hundred  dollars,  for  the  best  essay  on 
a  medical  or  surgical  subject ;  "  and  that,  "  in  order  to 
make  this  prize  perpetual,  the  sum  of  Fifteen  Hundred 
dollars  be  raised  by  subscription  among  the  alumni 
and  invested  as  a  fund,  the  interest  of  which,  at  least 
to  the  amount  of  One  Hundred  dollars,  shall  be  an- 
nually devoted  to  this  object." 

The  project  thus  proposed  was  realized  at  the 
same  meeting ;  the  required  amount  of  $1,500  being 
presented  by  Dr.  Delafield.  At  first  the  prize  was 
appropriately  named  the  Delafield  Prize.  But  in  the 
following  year  it  was  resolved  that  the  fund  be  in- 
creased to  $3,000  by  soliciting  subscriptions  from  the 


TWENTY-THIRD   STREET  I  1 1 

alumni ;  and  that  the  interest  thereof  "  be  offered  as 
an  annual  prize  for  the  best  essay  upon  some  subject 
connected  with  medicine  or  surgery."  In  accordance 
with  Dr.  Delafield's  expressed  desire  it  was  thereafter 
designated  the  A htmni  Association  Prize  of  the  Col- 
lege of  Physicians  and  Surgeons.  This  enlargement 
of  the  fund  was  recommended  by  the  committee  for 
the  reason  that  it  would  "  encourage  among  the 
Alumni  a  spirit  of  emulation  and  devotion  to  scientific 
research,  that  must  eventually  redound  to  the  honor 
of  the  College  and  the  progress  of  medical  art." 

To  this  appeal  the  members  of  the  association  re- 
sponded with  such  alacrity  that  by  1870  the  fund  had 
already  reached  the  proposed  sum  of  Three  Thousand 
dollars  ;  by  1878  it  was  nearly  Five  Thousand  ;  and 
in  1886  it  amounted  to  Six  Thousand  dollars,  by  con- 
tributions from  about  eighty  different  members.  In 
1878  it  was  supplemented  by  a  bequest  from  Mr. 
Benjamin  Cartwright,  a  friend  and  patient  of  the 
vice  president  of  the  association.  Dr.  A.  N.  Dough- 
erty. This  legacy  amounted  to  Ten  Thousand  dol- 
lars, one  half  of  which  was  to  maintain  an  annual  or 
biennial  prize.  This  enabled  the  association  to  es- 
tablish two  biennial  prizes,  of  Five  Hundred  dollars 
each,  to  be  awarded  in  alternate  years  ;  one  of  them, 
the  "  Alumni  Association  Prize,"  open  to  the  alumni 
of  the  College,  the  other,  the  "  Cartwright  Prize," 
open  to  the  profession  at  large.  It  was  required 
that  the  competing  essays  for  these  prizes,  in  ad- 
dition to  a  high  grade  of  literary  excellence,    should 


112  THE   COLLEGE   LN 

possess  the  merit  and  embody  the  results  of  original 
research. 

The  remaining  half  of  the  Cartwright  legacy  was 
devoted  to  the  establishment  of  lectures,  to  be  given, 
annually  or  biennially,  on  some  topic  of  novelty  or 
interest  for  the  general  profession.  These  are  the 
"  Cartwright  Lectures,"  which  are  delivered,  under  the 
auspices  of  the  association,  every  two  years,  alternat- 
ing with  the  biennial  award  of  the  Cartwright  prize. 

This  was  the  successful  issue  of  the  first  enterprise 
undertaken  by  the  Alumni  Association.  The  second 
was  still  more  important.  In  1873  the  association 
adopted  a  resolution  declaring  it  to  be  "  a  prevailing 
sentiment  among  the  graduates  of  the  College  that  its 
field  of  usefulness  should  be  extended,  to  meet  the 
continued  advance  in  medical  science  ;  "  and  appointing 
a  committee  of  conference  with  the  faculty  for  the 
furtherance  of  that  object.  Agreeably  to  the  recom- 
mendations of  the  committee,  a  plan  was  adopted  to 
raise  a  fund  for  the  special  endowment  of  a  professor- 
ship of  Pathological  Anatomy,  and  for  the  establish- 
ment of  laboratories  for  experimental  instruction  in 
chemistry,  physiology  and  pathology.  It  was  be- 
lieved by  the  committee  that  there  could  be  "  no  more 
certain  way  of  advancing  the  standard  of  medical  edu- 
cation than  by  furnishing  the  most  ample  facilities  for 
the  prosecution  of  studies  and  investigations  in  the 
purely  scientific  departments  of  medicine  ;  "  and  that 
improvements  of  this  kind  were  "  most  urgently 
needed  by  the  College." 


TWENTY-THIRD   STREET.  II3 

A  circular  setting  forth  the  above  plan  was  dis- 
tributed to  the  alumni  in  New  York  and  the  vicinity 
with  such  success  that  in  January  of  the  following  year 
Fifteen  Hundred  dollars  had  been  received  toward  the 
formation  of  the  fund.  By  1875  it  had  increased  to 
over  Three  Thousand;  and  in  1877  it  amounted  to 
Ten  Thousand  dollars,  all  contributed  by  graduates  of 
the  College. 

By  that  time  it  appeared  advisable  to  reconsider, 
in  some  respects,  the  destination  of  the  fund.  Its  pri- 
mary object  had  been  mainly  the  endowment  of  a  chair 
of  pathological  anatomy.  But  certain  changes  in  the 
faculty  were  now  in  prospect  which  would  obviate  the 
necessity  for  such  an  endowment ;  and  it  was  accord- 
ingly proposed  that  the  acquired  fund  should  be  util- 
ized directly  for  the  establishment  of  laboratories  of 
instruction.  This  was  declared  to  be  the  "  aim  of  the 
association,"  and  the  wisest  object  to  which  its  means 
and  energies  could  be  devoted.  After  full  discussion 
and  consultation,  the  above  measure  was  adopted,  ac- 
cording to  a  plan  suggested  by  Dr.  Francis  Delafield, 
who  was  then  adjunct  professor  of  pathology  and  prac- 
tical medicine.  The  sum  of  Ten  Thousand  dollars  al- 
ready collected,  heretofore  known  as  the  Endowment 
Fund,  was  now  designated  the  "  Laboratory  Fund." 
Of  this  amount  the  association  appropriated  Fifteen 
Hundred  dollars  for  the  equipment  of  the  laboratory  ; 
the  income  of  the  remainder  being  assigned  toward  its 
support  during  the  year.  The  laboratory  was  installed 
in  one  of  the  lower  rooms  of  the  College  buildinof  •   Dr. 


114  THE    COLLEGE   LN 

Delafield  acting  as  its  Director  for  the  first  three  years, 
and  bearing  no  inconsiderable  part  of  its  current  ex- 
penses. Additional  contributions  were  received  from 
graduates  and  from  the  faculty.  The  enlargement  and 
maintenance  of  the  laboratory  became  a  favorite  object 
with  the  alumni;  and  in  1884  the  Councillors  of  the 
association,  at  a  special  meeting,  resolved  to  take  im- 
mediate action,  by  further  subscriptions,  for  "  placing 
the  Physiological  and  Pathological  Laboratory  Fund 
of  the  Association  upon  a  basis  suited  to  the  require- 
ments of  the  departments  of  physiology  and  pathol- 
ogy-" 

In  this  way  the  Association  established  itself  on  a 

permanent  footing,  as  an  element  of  strength  and 
prosperity  for  the  College.  In  1873  it  was  incorpo- 
rated, under  the  name  of  the  "  Association  of  the 
Alumni  of  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  in 
the  city  of  New  York."  The  purpose  of  the  associa- 
tion is  declared  in  its  constitution  to  be  the  promotion 
of  "  the  interests  of  the  College  of  Physicians  and 
Surofeons  in  the  work  of  medical  education,"  and  the 
cultivation  of  "  social  intercourse  amono-  the  alumni." 
Its  spirit  is  expressed,  in  the  report  of  a  committee  of 
the  Councillors  for  1881,  as  follows:  "The  Alumni 
are  the  natural  guardians  of  our  Alma  Mater  ;  it  is 
their  province  and  their  privilege  to  maintain  her 
honor,  to  stimulate  her  energy,  and  to  aid  her  in  be- 
coming the  representative  of  progress  in  medical  edu- 
cation." 

This    object     has    been    assiduously    carried    out. 


TWENTY-THIRD   STREET  II5 

There  is  no  part  of  the  organization  of  the  College,  of 
which  it  can  more  justly  be  proud,  than  the  association 
of  its  alumni.  Their  regard  for  its  traditions,  and 
their  interest  in  its  reputation  and  welfare,  form  the 
surest  guaranty  of  its  future  stability  ;  and  their  coun- 
sel and  cooperation  must  be  often  effective  in  guiding 
its  policy  and  in  furthering  its  designs.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  highest  honor  which  can  attach  to  the  Col- 
lege comes  from  the  general  professional  standing  of 
its  graduates.  This  is  the  real  purpose  of  its  exist- 
ence and  the  ultimate  criterion  of  its  success.  More- 
over, the  College  and  the  Association  react  upon  each 
other  to  their  mutual  advantage.  The  more  faithfully 
the  College  performs  its  part  in  the  work  of  education, 
the  larger  will  be  its  returns  in  the  esteem  and  attach- 
ment of  its  alumni ;  and  alumni  can  render  no.  better 
service  for  the  improvement  of  the  profession  than  by 
aiding  to  raise  the  character  and  increase  the  useful- 
ness of  their  Medical  School. 

A  second  feature  of  interest  introduced  into  the 
College  at  this  time  was  the  establishment  of  prizes 
for  undergraduates.  The  first  were  two  prizes,  one 
of  Fifty  dollars  and  one  of  Twenty-five  dollars,  offered 
by  the  faculty  in  1858,  to  be  awarded  at  each  annual 
commencement  for  the  best  graduating  theses  sub- 
mitted during  the  year.  Their  object  was  to  prevent 
the  graduating  class  regarding  the  thesis  too  much  as 
a  formality,  and  to  induce,  by  the  proffered  honor  of  a 
prize,  due  care  in  its  preparation,  as  the  only  written 
evidence  of  the  candidate's  proficiency. 


Il6  THE   COLLEGE   LN 

In  i860  a  prize  was  offered  by  Dr.  Alexander  H. 
Stevens  "  for  the  best  series  of  preparations  which 
shall  adequately  illustrate  the  anatomy,  physiology, 
and  pathology  of  the  Larynx."  This  prize,  which 
amounted  to  One  Hundred  dollars  and  was  open  for 
competition  to  all,  was  awarded  in  1864. 

Two  years  afterward  Dr.  Stevens  established  a 
permanent  fund  of  One  Thousand  dollars  "  for  the 
encouragement  and  improvement  of  medical  litera- 
ture." This  was  known  as  the  "  Stevens  Triennial 
Prize  Fund."  Its  administration  was  entrusted  to  a 
committee  consisting  of  the  president  of  the  College, 
the  president  of  the  Alumni  Association,  and  the  pro- 
fessor of  Physiology.  Its  income  was  to  be  awarded, 
once  in  three  years,  for  the  best  essay  on  the  subjects 
proposed  by  the  committee.  This  prize  was  also  open 
for  universal  competition  ;  and  although  undergrad- 
uates of  the  College  could  rarely  hope  for  success  in 
obtaining  it,  they  were  not  excluded  from  trial  by  the 
terms  of  the  endowment. 

About  the  same  time  a  prize  was  founded  by  Dr. 
Jacob  Harsen,  which  afterward  proved  the  most  im- 
portant benefaction  so  far  received  by  the  College. 
It  consisted  at  first  of  a  gold  medal  and  One  Hundred 
dollars  in  money,  to  be  annually  awarded  for  the  best 
written  report  of  the  clinical  instruction  in  the  New 
York  Hospital  during  four  months  of  the  year,  which 
should  be  prepared  and  presented  by  an  undergrad- 
uate student  of  the  College.  Productive  securities, 
sufficient  to  provide    for    this    prize,    were    conveyed 


TWENTY-THIRD   STREET 


117 


to  the  College  by  a  formal  deed  of  trust,   May  7th, 
1850. 

Dr.  Harsen,  whose  family  were  among  the  early 
Dutch  settlers  of  New  York,  was  a  native  of  the  city 
and  an  academical  graduate  of  Columbia  College.     He 


Jacob  Harsen,  M.D. 

From  a  medallion  portrait  by  Karl  Miiller, 

1861. 


Studied  medicine  in  the  office  of  Dr.  Stevens,  and 
received  his  medical  degree  from  the  College  of 
Physicians  and  Surgeons  in  1829.  For  a  few  3-ears 
he  engaged  in  general  practice,  and  in  the  cholera 
epidemic  of  1832  he  served  the  city  as  district  physi- 
cian.    Although  he  soon  afterward  relinquished  prac- 


Il8  THE   COLLEGE   IN 

tice  as  an  occupation,  he  continued  to  devote  much 
time  to  professional  charities  and  associations.  He 
was  especially  interested  in  the  Northern  Dispensary, 
contributing  liberally  to  its  support,  and  serving  for 
twenty  years  as  one  of  its  managers.  He  was  also 
a  Director  of  the  New  York  Eye  Infirmary,  and  a 
Trustee  and  Councillor  of  the  Academy  of  Medicine. 
In  all  these  positions  he  was  capable  and  zealous  in 
the  discharge  of  his  official  duties.  His  retirement 
from  practice  never  diminished  his  interest  in  medical 
affairs  nor  his  regard  for  the  College  in  which  he  had 
received  his  professional  education.  He  died  in  1862, 
at  the  age  of  fifty-four  years. 

The  special  form  given  to  this  prize  was  prompted 
by  a  double  motive.  The  New  York  Hospital  was 
the  oldest,  and  for  many  years  the  only,  medical  char- 
ity of  importance  in  the  city ;  and  even  after  the 
establishment  of  other  similar  institutions,  it  remained 
the  favorite  with  those  whose  habits  or  recollections 
connected  them  with  the  social  ideas  of  a  former 
period.  Dr.  Harsen,  both  from  his  professional  and 
family  associations,  belonged  to  this  class.  He  be- 
lieved that  the  advantages  for  clinical  instruction 
afforded  by  the  New  York  Hospital  could  be  made' 
more  useful  by  attracting  to  them  the  special  atten- 
tion of  medical  students  ;  and,  on  the  other  hand,  as 
an  alumnus  of  the  College,  he  wished  to  testify  his 
regard  for  his  alma  mater,  and  to  "  increase  the  spirit 
of  emulation  "  among  her  pupils.  He  therefore  offered 
the  prize  for  clinical  reports  gathered  in  the  New  York 


TWENTY-THIRD   STREET 


119 


Hospital  by  students  of  the  College  of  Physicians  and 
Surgeons. 

Finding  his  plan  approved  by  the  Trustees  and 
Faculty,  Dr.  Harsen  enlarged  it  in  i860,  to  include 
two   additional   prizes   for   the   second  and  third  best 


The    New  York  Hospital 

in  1S60. 

From  a  print  in  Appleton's  New  York  Illustrated,   1869. 


reports,  to  be  awarded  in -the  same  manner  as  the 
first.  The  three  were  thenceforward  known  as  the 
"  Harsen  Prizes  for  Clinical  Reports."  They  con- 
sisted of  a  First  Prize,  of  the  value  of  One  Hundred 
and  Fifty  dollars ;  a  Second  Prize,  of  the  value  of 
Seventy-five  dollars  ;  and  a  Third  Prize,  of  the  value 
of  Twenty-five  dollars.     With  each  prize    there  was 


[20  THE   COLLEGE   IN 

given  a  "  Harsen  Medal"  in  bronze,  and  a  diploma 
signed  by  the  prize  committee. 

These  prizes  were  annually  awarded,  from  the  date 
of  their  establishment  until  1869.  In  that  year  the 
New  York  Hospital  vacated  the  property  which  it  had 
so  long  occupied  in  Broadway,  with  the  prospect  of 
acquiring  larger  and  better  accommodations  elsewhere. 
But  this  object  was  delayed  by  tmforeseen  difficulties 
until  1877;  and  in  the  mean  time,  there  being  no 
"  clinical  instruction  in  the  New  York  Hospital,"  no 
reports  were  made  and  the  Harsen  prizes  were  sus- 
pended. 

Their  place,  however,  was  taken  by  prizes  offered, 
by  members  of  the  faculty  and  others  connected  with 
the  College,  for  proficiency  in  special  branches  of 
study  or  for  reports  of  lectures  in  special  departments. 
In  1874  there  was  added  the  "Joseph  Mather  Smith 
Prize,"  endowed  by  the  relatives  and  friends  of  the 
late  Dr.  J.  M.  Smith,  in  commemoration  of  his  long 
service  as  professor  in  the  College.  It  provided  for  an 
annual  award  of  One  Hundred  dollars  for  the  best 
essay  on  the  subject  of  the  year,  presented  by  an 
alumnus  of  the  College  or  a  member  of  the  graduat- 
ing class. 

Contrary  to  expectation,  it  had  by  this  time  become 
manifest  that  most  of  these  prizes,  instead  of  being  an 
advantage  to  the  recipients  and  their  competitors, 
were  having  an  injurious  effect.  They  were  offered 
by  professors  and  teachers  in  the  College,  with  the 
sanction  of  the  faculty ;   and  were  therefore  fairly  con- 


TWENTY-THIRD   STREET  12  1 

sidered  by  the  students  as  legitimate  objects  of  compe- 
tition. All  who  possessed  a  fair  share  of  capacity, 
industry  and  ambition  were  naturally  desirous  of  ob- 
taining one  of  them  ;  especially  as  it  would  be  to  their 
relatives  and  friends  a  source  of  no  little  gratifica- 
tion, as  the  honorable  evidence  of  their  ability  and 
merit. 

With  every  year  the  desire  for  this  distinction  in- 
creased. To  obtain  it,  many  students  devoted  to  the 
struggle  for  a  specific  prize  much  time  and  labor  which 
should  have  been  given  to  their  regular  studies.  This 
bad  result  was  produced  even  by  the  prizes  offered  for 
graduating  theses.  It  became  not  uncommon  for  a 
student  to  select,  as  the  topic  of  his  thesis,  some  sub- 
ject requiring  prolonged  research  in  the  medical  libra- 
ries or  periodicals,  with  tabulated  statistics  and  bib- 
liographical references  ;  the  whole  embodied  in  a 
voluminous  essay,  containing  elaborate  diagrams  or 
colored  drawings  by  a  professional  artist,  carefully  en- 
grossed and  expensively  bound  ;  the  candidate  mean- 
while hardly  having  time  to  attend  a  lecture  or  demon- 
stration in  the  Colleore. 

The  matter  was  made  worse  by  the  increasing 
number  of  these  inducements,  offered,  one  after  the 
other,  by  various  teachers  ;  until  in  one  year  there 
were  no  less  than  ten  such  prizes  open  for  competition 
to  undergraduates.  Their  influence  was  perceptible  in 
the  inferiority  of  the  general  examinations  ;  and  on 
this  account  it  was  determined  to  abolish  the  system 
in    favor    of   a    different    plan.      In    1876    the    faculty 


122  THE    COLLEGE    IN 

adopted  and  promulgated  the  following  preamble  and 
resolutions. 

"Whereas,  the  experience  of  several  years  has 
made  it  evident,  in  the  opinion  of  the  faculty,  that 
the  offering  of  prizes  to  undergraduates  for  theses, 
clinical  or  didactic  reports,  or  proficiency  in  special  ex- 
aminations, has  an  injurious  effect  by  diverting  their 
attention  from  the  more  necessary  and  legitimate  pro- 
secution of  their  studies  :   therefore.  Resolved  ; 

I.  That  the  Faculty  Prizes  heretofore  offered  for 
graduating  theses  are  hereby  abolished. 

II.  That  all  professors  and  teachers  connected  with 
the  College  are  requested  to  withdraw  any  prizes  they 
may  have  heretofore  offered  for  the  competition  of  un- 
dergraduates. This  request  is  made  under  a  high 
appreciation  of  the  liberal  and  commendable  motives 
which  have  prompted  the  offering  of  these  prizes ;  and 
solely  from  the  conviction  that  they  are  unexpectedly 
operating  to  the  injury  of  the  medical  class. 

III.  In  place  of  the  prizes  thus  discontinued,  the 
faculty  hereby  establish  three  prizes,  for  the  members 
of  the  graduating  class,  for  general  proficiency  in  ex- 
amination ;  namely,  a  First  Prize  of  $ioo,  a  Second 
Prize  of  $50,  and  a  Third  Prize  of  $25.  The  manner 
of  awarding  these  prizes  is  to  be  as  follows  :  The  ten 
members  of  each  graduating  class  who,  in  their  exam- 
inations for  the  degree  of  Doctor  in  Medicine  and  in 
their  graduating  theses,  have  shown  the  highest  pro- 
ficiency in  all  the  branches  combined,  shall  each  re- 
ceive a  diploma  of  "  Examination   Honors,''  and  shall 


TWENTY-THIRD   STREET  I  23 

be  entitled  to  appear  at  a  public  competitive  examina- 
tion in  writing  for  the  "  Examination  Prizes,"  which 
shall  be  awarded  to  the  three  successful  competitors, 
in  the  order  of  their  merit. 

This  examination  shall  be  conducted  by  members 
of  the  faculty,  and  the  prizes  awarded  by  a  committee 
of  three  judges,  consisting  of  the  president  of  the 
College,  the  president  of  the  Association  of  Alumni, 
and  a  resident  alumnus  selected  by  them." 

By  this  means  the  industry  of  the  student  was  re- 
tained within  its  proper  channels  ;  and  the  stimulus  of 
competition,  instead  of  concentrating  his  efforts  on  a 
single  topic,  was  made  to  increase  his  general  pro- 
ficiency in  the  requirements  of  a  medical  education. 

It  happened,  however,  that  a  special  difficulty  was 
presented  in  the  case  of  the  "  Harsen  Prizes  for  Clin- 
ical Reports,"  For  several  years  these  prizes  had 
been  in  abeyance,  owing  to  the  suspension  of  the 
New  York  Hospital,  to  which  institution  they  were 
restricted  by  the  deed  of  trust.  But  the  new  hospital 
building  in  Fifteenth  street  was  now  approaching 
completion  ;  and  when  it  should  be  again  in  opera- 
tion the  prizes  must  be  offered  and  awarded  as  before. 
During  their  suspension  the  prize  fund  had  greatly 
increased  in  amount.  The  property  originally  con- 
veyed for  this  object  was  in  the  form  of  thirty-five 
shares  of  stock  in  the  United  States  Trust  Company 
of  New  York.  By  accumulation  of  the  unexpended 
income,  and  the  privileged  purchase  of  new  stock  for 
the  credit   of  the  fund,  it   had   increased  durinor  this 


124,  1HE    COLLEGE   LN 

time  to  fifty-three  shares,  beside  a  few  thousand  dol- 
lars in  other  securities  ;  and  owing  to  the  enhanced 
value  of  the  shares  themselves  the  whole  fund  now 
represented  a  sum  of  about  Thirty  Thousand  dollars, 
yielding  an  annual  income  of  nearly  Fifteen  Hundred 
dollars.  This  was  far  beyond  the  original  intention  of 
Dr.  Harsen,  and,  if  applied  to  the  payment  of  prizes 
for  clinical  reports,  would  be  wholly  out  of  proportion 
to  their  real  merit,  and  very  undesirable  as  a  tempta- 
tion to  undergraduates. 

In  this  dilemma  it  was  thought  best  to  petition  the 
Supreme  Court  for  authority  to  divert  the  accumu- 
lated surplus  of  the  fund  to  such  other  purposes  as 
would  be  of  advantage  to  the  College  and  in  harmony 
with  the  spirit  of  the  original  donation.  The  petition 
was  placed  by  the  Court  in  the  hands  of  the  Hon. 
Richard  O'Gorman  as  referee;  whose  report  thereon 
was  accepted  and  confirmed  by  the  Court  February 
25th,  1879.  Under  this  decision,  so  much  of  the  fund 
as  will  carry  out  the  primary  object  of  the  trust  is  re- 
tained for  that  purpose,  and  still  provides  for  three 
"  Harsen  Prizes  for  Clinical  Reports."  The  re- 
mainder is  applied  to  the  prizes  for  general  pro-  • 
ficiency  in  the  graduating  examinations.  They  are 
henceforward  known  as  the  "  Harsen  prizes  for  pro- 
ficiency at  examination,"  and  are  increased  both  in 
number  and  in  value.  The  first  prize  amounts  annu- 
ally to  Five  Hundred  dollars,  the  second  to  Three 
Hundred  dollars  ;  and  the  third  to  Two  Hundred 
dollars  ;   while   the   remaining    seven  of  the  ten  com- 


TWENTY-THIRD   STREET.  125 

petitors  each  receive  a  prize  amounting  usually  to 
Twenty-five  dollars.  This  liberal  endowment  is  ac- 
cordingly employed  in  the  way  most  beneficial  to  the 
graduates  of  the  College. 

The  time  spent  in  Twenty-third  street  was  also 
signalized  by  a  remarkable  growth  of  the  College 
Clinics.  In  1856  there  were  three  clinics  per  week. 
They  were  soon  afterward  increased  to  four  by  an 
additional  surgical  clinic  established  by  Dr.  William 
Detmold,  whose  extensive  reputation  among  the  Ger- 
man residents  of  the  city  attracted  a  numerous  class 
of  patients  for  examination  and  treatment.  The  rising 
importance  of  specialities  in  medical  practice  also  be- 
gan to  produce  a  demand  for  various  forms  of  special 
instruction  ;  and  so  led  to  a  corresponding  expansion, 
of  the  clinical  department  in  the  College.  Beside 
those  already  mentioned,  there  were  successively 
added  a  venereal  clinic,  a  clinic  for  the  eye  and  ear, 
one  for  di,seases  of  the  skin,  one  for  children,  one  for 
affections  of  the  nervous  system,  and  one  for  diseases 
of  the  throat;  until  in  1876  there  were  ten  separate 
clinics  per  week  in  the  college  building. 

This  enlargement  of  the  clinical  service  gave  rise 
to  greatly  increased  requirements  for  accommodation. 
When  the  Twenty-third  street  building  was  first  oc- 
cupied it  was  intended  that  two  rooms  on  the  third 
floor  should  be  fitted  up  as  hospital  wards,  for  male  and 
female  patients  who  might  have  occasion  to  remain 
some  days  before  or  after  surgical  operations.  But  it 
soon  became  evident  that  all  the  space  available  for 


126  THE   COLLEGE   LN 

such  purposes  must  be  devoted  to  the  reception  and 
examination  of  out-patients  ;  and  the  plan  of  hospital 
wards  was  for  this  reason  abandoned.  Moreover,  the 
clinical  professors  needed  room  for  the  storage  of 
their  apparatus  and  illustrations ;  and  the  resources 
of  the  college  edifice  were  taxed  to  their  utmost,  to 
provide  for  these  increasing-  demands. 

The  same  difficulty  was  experienced  by  all  the  pro- 
fessors who  relied  on  demonstration  in  their  method 
of  teaching.  This  feature  of  college  instruction, 
which  had  been  adopted  some  years  before,  became 
much  enlarged  while  the  institution  was  in  Twenty- 
third  street.  Not  only  in  chemistry,  but  especially  in 
anatomy  and  physiology,  the  use  of  instruments,  ap- 
paratus and  material,  for  purposes  of  demonstration, 
grew  to  such  an  extent  that  the  accommodation  al- 
lotted to  these  departments  became  excessively  over- 
crowded, notwithstanding  every  contrivance  for  econ- 
omy of  space. 

Lastly,  there  were  similar  requirements  for  the 
Physiological  and  Pathological  Laboratory  of  the 
Alumni  Association.  The  laboratory  was  estab- 
lished, in  1878,  in  an  apartment  of  the  college  build- 
ing which  had  been  previously  rented  as  a  store. 
With  certain  alterations  and  improvements  it  answered 
the  purpose  very  well  for  a  time.  But  the  number  of 
pupils  soon  increased  to  such  an  extent  that  the  room 
was  no  longer  sufficient.  In  1885  the  Director  an- 
nounced, in  his  annual  report  to  the  alumni,  that  the 
resources  of  the  laboratory  in  the  way  of  space  were 


TWENTY  THIRD   STREET.  I  27 

exhausted;  more  students  being  in  attendance  than 
could  fairly.be  accommodated.  To  meet  this  necessity 
additional  classes  were  established,  for  instruction 
after  the  close  of  the  regular  session,  in  May  and 
June.  But  the  relief  afforded  by  this  means  was 
still  incomplete ;  since  it  appeared,  from  the  report 
of  the  following  year,  that  the  number  of  students  in 
attendance  was  "  limited  only  by  the  seating  capacity 
of  the  laboratory." 

Thus  the  want  of  space  became  on  all  sides  the 
most  serious  difficulty  in  the  college  operations. 
Plans  were  discussed  for  constructing  an  additional 
story  on  the  existing  edifice,  for  building  over  the 
vacant  space  in  the  rear,  and  for  connecting  the  col- 
lege with  the  adjacent  dwelling  house  on  Twenty-third 
street.  But  these  schemes  all  proved  on  examination 
to  be  either  impracticable,  or  likely  to  involve  a  large 
expenditure  with  little  corresponding  benefit.  It  was 
accordingly  determined  to  postpone  the  attempt  until 
it  might  be  possible  to  secure  a  new  building  with  bet- 
ter facilities  in  a  new  location. 

A  further  system  of  improvements  adopted  at  this 
time  consisted  of  changes  in  the  mode  of  instruction 
and  examination.  These  changes  were  partly  in  the 
way  of  simplification,  where  the  methods  in  use  had 
proved  cumbrous  or  ineffective.  Formerly  the  candi- 
dates for  graduation  were  examined  orally  by  the  pro- 
fessors, and  if  found  competent  were  admitted  to  an- 
other oral  examination  before  the  Faculty  and  Trustees 
in  joint  session.     This  second  examination,  known  as 


128  THE   COLLEGE   IN 

the  "  Trustee  examination,"  was  requisite  for  the  final 
acceptance  of  the  candidate  ;  since  degrees  could  be 
conferred  only  with  the  assent  and  by  the  authority  of 
the  Board.  But  it  exacted  a  double  expenditure  of 
time  from  the  professors  ;  and  it  was  a  source  of  addi- 
tional anxiety  to  students,  from  the  presence  of  an  un- 
accustomed audience  and  the  special  solemnity  of  the 
occasion.  After  this  ordeal  was  passed  there  still  re- 
mained the  public  "  Thesis  examination,"  conducted  in 
the  main  lecture  hall  of  the  College,  in  which  the  candi- 
date was  questioned  on  the  topics  of  his  thesis  and  ex- 
pected to  answer  any  objections  which  might  be  made 
to  his  statements  or  conclusions.  It  was  an  exercise 
which  consumed  much  valuable  time,  and  had  come  to 
be  regarded,  for  the  most  part,  as  an  empty  ceremonial. 
These  two  customs  were  abolished,  at  the  instance 
of  the  faculty,  in  1863  and  1864.  It  was  ordered  by 
the  Trustees  that  the  second  examination,  before  the 
joint  boards,  be  dispensed  with,  and  that  "  in  place 
thereof  a  committee  consisting  of  five  medical  mem- 
bers of  the  Board  of  Trustees  be  appointed  yearly,  to 
be  present  at  the  examination  of  candidates  by  the 
Faculty,  of  which  examination  due  notice  shall  be 
given  by  the  Faculty  to  the  Trustees."  In  this  way 
the  safeguard  of  the  examinations  is  still  maintained, 
without  the  inconveniences  of  the  previous  method. 
It  is  at  the  same  time  equally  efficacious  with  the  for- 
mer examination  before  the  full  Board  ;  since  it  is 
confided  to  a  responsible  committee  who  are  compe- 
tent to  the  performance  of  the  duty. 


TIVENTY-THIRD   STREET.  1 29 

The  so-called  "  Thesis  examination "  was  also 
dispensed  with.  But  the  thesis  of  each  candidate  was 
made  part  of  his  general  examination,  and  was  held  to 
affect  the  result  according-  to  its  good  or  bad  quality 
This  gave  to  the  written  exercise  its  due  value  in  the 
examinations,  and  relieved  the  College  from  the  bur- 
den of  a  useless  formality. 

Other  changes,  of  more  importance  than  the  fore- 
going, established  a  greater  precision  in  the  mode  of 
examination,  and  in  the  requirements  for  graduation. 
In  former  times  the  question  of  accepting  or  rejecting 
a  candidate  was  decided  among  the  professors  by  a 
majority  vote.  This  method  was  quite  sufficient  so 
long  as  the  examinations  were  conducted  before  the 
assembled  faculty  ;  because  each  professor  heard  the 
candidates  examined  in  turn  by  his  colleagues,  and 
could  form  an  idea  of  their  fitness  in  other  departments 
as  well  as  his  own.  But  subsequently  to  1856,  owing 
to  the  increased  number  of  students,  it  required  too 
much  time  to  hold  the  examinations  in  common  ;  and 
it  became  customary  for  each  professor  to  examine  the 
candidates  by  himself,  appearing  afterward  at  a  faculty 
meeting,  to  report  the  result  and  vote  accordingly. 
Under  this  plan  it  appeared  that  a  candidate  might 
sometimes  be  accepted  although  lamentably  deficient 
in  three  of  the  departments,  if  barely  good  enough  in 
the  other  four. 

To  provide  against  this  contingency  the  faculty  in 
1 86 1  adopted  a  regulation  that  in  passing  upon  candi- 
dates  three   negative  votes   out  of  seven   should    be 


130  THE   COLLEGE   LN 

sufficient  for  rejection  ;  with  the  hmitation  that  two  of 
these  votes  should  come  from  the  practical  depart- 
ments. In  1876  this  limitation  was  abolished,  making 
it  requisite  in  every  case  that  the  candidate  should  be 
approved  by  five  out  of  the  seven  professors  ;  and  in 
1879  it  was  finally  resolved  that  candidates  for  gradu- 
ation "  must  pass  satisfactorily  in  each  of  the  seven 
departments,"  that  is,  in  anatomy,  physiology,  chem- 
istry, materia  medica,  obstetrics,  surgery  and  practical 
medicine.  Two  years  before,  it  had  also  been  made 
requisite  that  the  candidate  should  present  evidence 
of  having  pursued  the  study  of  practical  anatomy. 

It  was  furthermore  determined  to  provide  a  more 
definite  plan  for  estimating  and  recording  a  candidate's 
proficiency  in  each  department,  and  his  general  stand- 
ing on  the  final  result.  This  was  done,  in  1876,  1877 
and  1878,  by  adopting  a  uniform  standard  of  marks, 
on  a  scale  of  eight  as  the  maximum ;  an  aggregate  of 
forty  for  all  examinations,  with  none  of  them  below 
four,  being  essential  to  graduation.  By  this  means 
the  work  of  voting  upon  candidates  was  both  facili- 
tated and  improved  ;  and  it  also  gave  a  ready  numer- 
ical test  by  which  the  ten  members  of  the  graduating 
class  entitled  to  "  examination  honors  "  might  be  im- 
partially selected. 

In  1879  two  additional  changes  were  made  which 
revolutionized  still  further  the  process  of  examination. 
By  the  first,  all  examinations  for  the  degree  of  Doctor 
in  Medicine,  heretofore  conducted  orally,  were  re- 
quired to  be  in  writing  ;  and  by  the  second,  the  time 


TWENTY-THIRD   STREET.  131 

for  holding  these  examinations  was   postponed  until 
after  the  close  of  the  college  lectures. 

In  the  system  of  written  examinations,  the  candi- 
dates are  assembled,  at  an  appointed  hour,  in  an 
apartment  assigned  for  the  purpose,  and  supplied  with 
a  series  of  questions  arranged  beforehand  by  the 
professor.  Each  candidate  is  provided  with  a  num- 
bered blank-book,  in  which  he  writes  his  answers  to 
the  questions,  and  which  he  gives  up  before  leaving 
the  room.  The  professor  then  reads  the  answers, 
records  his  judgment  thereon  in  each  case  by  the 
number  of  the  book,  and  reports  the  same  to  the 
faculty  ;  the  name  of  the  candidate  being  withheld 
until  the  reports  of  all  the  professors  have  been  ren- 
dered. The  influences  of  personality  on  the  mind  of 
the  examiner  are  thus  excluded,  and  his  opinion  of 
the  candidate's  merit  is  based  solely  on  the  written 
replies  in  an  examination  paper.  This  is  usually 
considered  as  ot  prime  importance  in  competitive 
examinations  ;  and  those  for  graduation  in  the  College 
partake  of  that  character,  since  all  the  candidates  are, 
or  may  be,  competitors  for  examination  honors. 

The  postponement  of  examinations  till  after  the 
end  of  the  college  course  was  of  great  practical  ad- 
vantage. Experience  had  shown  that  attendance 
upon  lectures  was  of  little  avail  after  the  beginning 
of  the  examinations.  The  prospective  graduates, 
undergoing  or  anticipating  their  examinations  from 
day  to  day,  were  not  in  a  condition  to  profit  by  the 
ordinary  methods  of  college  instruction  ;   and  they  had 


132,  THE   COLLEGE  LN 

a  well-founded  suspicion  that  lectures  delivered  in  any 
department,  after  their  examination,  could  not  give 
them  information  which  they  were  required  to  possess 
beforehand.  The  excitement  of  the  occasion  was  also 
more  or  less  contagious,  affecting  in  some  measure 
the  whole  of  the  attending  class  ;  and  on  all  sides  the 
improvement  was  manifest  when  the  regular  business 
of  the  lecture  session  was  brought  to  its  close  without 
interruption,  and  the  examinations  conducted  after- 
ward in  a  more  deliberate  and  effective  way. 

The  foregoing  changes  for  the  better  operation  of 
the  College  were  accomplished  by  means  of  successive 
trials,  each  of  which  had  its  share  in  the  final  result. 
They  covered,  in  all,  a  period  of  eighteen  years  ;   and 
in   nearly   every   instance    they  were    considered   and 
discussed   for  months  before   their   adoption.      They 
were  intended,  for  the  most  part,  to  establish  a  higher 
standard   of  requirements   for   graduation,    and  to   in-i 
duce,  by  the  knowledge  of  these  requirements,  a  more 
thorough  preparation  on  the  part  of  the  student.     But 
this  alone  would  not  be  sufficient.     A  College  which 
should  rest  satisfied  with  raising  its  demands  upon  the 
candidate  by  increased  severity  of   the  examinations 
would  be  obviously  overlooking  an  important  part  of 
its  duty.     It  should  also  enlarge  the  extent  and  im- 
prove the   quality  of  its  instruction  ;   since  the  legiti- 
mate purpose  of  such  an   institution   is   not  merely  to 
exclude  incompetent  persons  from  the  profession,  but 
rather  to   provide  those  who  enter  it  with  the  best  op- 
portunities for  medical  education. 


TWENTY-THIRD   STREET  1 33 

The  faculty  were  fully  alive  to  these  considerations. 
They  felt  that  the  annual  college  course  was  both  too 
short  and  too  crowded  for  the  proper  instruction  of  the 
class.  This  course  was  originally  of  four  months' 
duration ;  namely,  from  the  first  of  November  to  the 
first  of  March.  In  1847  it  had  been  lengthened  to 
four  months  and  a  half,  from  the  middle  of  October 
to  the  first  of  March  ;  and  in  1868  it  was  extended  to 
five  months  by  beginning  the  lectures  on  the  first  of 
October.  But  the  matter  to  be  treated  in  all  the  de- 
partments continued  to  accumulate,  until  an  increased 
allotment  for  lectures  and  demonstrations  was  again 
necessary.  Moreover,  there  was  a  growing  belief  that 
much  of  the  instruction  was  compressed  into  too  short 
a  time,  and  that  it  ought  to  be  given  in  some  way  less 
irksome  and  monotonous  for  the  student.  A  series  of 
lectures  on  different  subjects,  closely  followed  hour 
after  hour  throughout  the  day,  can  hardly  fail  to  over- 
tax the  memory  of  the  listener;  and  however  assidu- 
ous he  may  be,  he  cannot,  under  such  a  method,  acquire 
and  retain  all  the  needed  information.  This  was  an 
additional  reason  for  increasing  the  length  of  the  col- 
lege term. 

In  1880  the  faculty,  in  accordance  with  the  report 
of  a  committee,  adopted  the  following  resolutions  : 

"I.  That  it  will  be  of  great  benefit  to  the  students 
to  pursue  their  studies  for  seven  months  instead  of,  as 
now,  for  five  months. 

II.  That  most  of  the  chairs  need  more  lectures,  to 
make  their  courses  complete. 


134  THE   COLLEGE   IN 

III.  That  it  will  be  for  the  advantage  of  the  stu- 
dents to  attend  fewer  lectures  a  day,  and  to  have  more 
time  for  clinical  instruction  and  laboratory  work. 

IV.  That  in  future  the  regular  session  shall  com- 
mence on  the  first  of  October  in  each  year,  and  last  for 
seven  months." 

The  graduating  examinations  had  already  been  de- 
ferred until  after  the  close  of  the  lectures,  bringing  the 
date  of  commencement,  under  the  new  plan,  to  about 
the  middle  of  May.  Thus  the  whole  time  spent  in  the 
necessary  work  of  an  annual  college  course  was  now 
seven  and  a  half  months,  or  nearly  double  its  former 
lengfth. 

While  the  practical  work  of  the  College  was  en- 
larged in  these  directions,  some  of  its  more  formal  re- 
quirements  were  curtailed  or  abandoned.  The  custom 
of  delivering,  in  each  department,  an  introductory 
lecture  at  the  beginning  of  the  course  gradually  fell 
into  disuse.  It  occupied  time  which  was  becoming 
every  year  more  valuable  for  the  main  topics  of  in- 
struction ;  and  it  was  dropped,  by  one  professor  after 
another,  as  each  deemed  it  expedient.  But  the  gen- 
eral Introductory  Address,  at  the  annual  opening  of  the 
session,  survived  longer.  It  was  an  entertainment  in 
which  all  were  expected  to  take  part ;  the  address 
being  delivered  in  the  main  lecture  hall  of  the  College, 
with  the  professors,  officers  and  trustees  assembled  on 
the  platform.  The  waning  interest  in  this  exercise 
became  manifest  in  various  ways,  and  the  honor  of  be- 
ing selected  as  the   orator  of  the  occasion  was  more 


TWENTY-THIRD   STREET.  1 35 

commonly  shunned  than  desired.  But  though  nearly 
all  were  in  favor  of  its  discontinuance,  no  one  pos- 
sessed  the  authority  to  set  it  aside.  It  had  the  nega- 
tive vitality  of  a  long-established  custom,  and  it  con- 
tinued to  exist  by  that  reason  alone.  It  was  finally 
abolished,  in  1884,  by  an  order  of  the  Trustees  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  recommendation  of  the  faculty. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

CHANGES    IN    THE    FACULTY. 
T865-1887. 

The  changes  in  the  faculty  of  the  College,  after 
its  removal  to  Twenty-third  street,  began  with  the 
death  of  Dr.  Chandler  R.  Gilman.  For  nearly  two 
years  his  failing  health  had  interfered  so  much  with 
the  duties  of  his  profession,  that  he  was  induced  to 
give  up  practice  in  the  city  and  retire  to  his  country 
home  in  Middletown,  Connecticut.  Here  he  found 
relief  from  the  more  urgent  symptoms  of  his  dis- 
order, with  great  increase  of  general  comfort ;  and 
his  death,  which  took  place  in  September,  1865,  was 
without  immediate  premonition  or  physical  suffering. 

During  the  twenty-five  years  of  Dr.  Oilman's  con- 
nection with  the  College,  he  maintained  with  his  as- 
sociates the  most  cordial  relations.  He  was  a  man  of 
the  strongest  individuality,  great  kindness  of  heart,  a 
quick  sense  of  humor,  and  a  remarkably  companion- 
able disposition.  While  not  especially  distinguished 
for  laborious  industry,  he  was  prompt  to  recognize 
the  progress  of  ideas  in  his  own  department  of  medi- 
cine. He  was  an  enthusiastic  amateur  of  natural  sci- 
ence ;  and  in  the  field  of  Q^eneral  literature  his  taste 
and  acquirements  were  more  cultivated  and  more  ex- 


CHANGES  IN  THE   FACULTY. 


^37 


tensive  than  is  usual  witli  professional  men.  His 
opinions  were  liberal  but  pronounced  ;  and  he  knew 
how  to  emphasize  their  expression  by  a  narrative  or 
a  witticism.     His  ample  forehead,  his  keen  and  rest- 


Chandler  R.  Oilman,  M.D., 

Professor  of  Obstetrics,  1841-1865. 

From  an  engraved  portrait  by  Ritchie, 

1864. 

less  eye,  and  the  flexible  intonations  of  his  voice 
added  to  the  zest  of  his  conversation  and  to  the  im- 
pressiveness  of  his  style  in  the  lecture  room.  The 
sentiment  of  friendship  was  strongly  developed  in  his 
disposition ;  and  he  would  spare  no  pains  to  serve  the 


138  CHANGES  IN 

memory   ot   a  deceased   colleague,   or  to   further  the 
interests  of  his  surviving  family. 

His  published  works  were  as  follows :  Hints  to 
the  people  on  the  prevention  and  early  treatment  of 
Spasmodic  Cholera,  New  York,  1832  ;  hitroductory 
Address  to  the  students  in  Medicine  of  the  College  of 
Physicians  and  Surgeons,  New  York,  1840;  Maun- 
sell's  Dublin  Practice  of  Midwifery,  edited,  with 
Notes  and  Additions,  New  York,  1845 ;  Periodic 
Maturation  and  Discharge  of  Ova,  in  the  Mamma- 
lia and  the  Human  Female.  Translated  from  the 
German  of  Th.  L.  G.  Bischoff,  by  C.  R.  Gilman, 
M.D.,  and  Theodore  Tellkampf,  M.D.,  New  York, 
1847;  Sketch  of  the  Life  and  Character  of  John  B. 
Beck,  M.D.,  New  York,  1851  ;  Beck's  Lectures  on 
Materia  Medica  and  Therapeutics.  Prepared  for  the 
press  and  dedicated  to  the  Alumni  of  the  College  of 
Physicians  and  Surgeons,  by  C.  R.  Gilman,  M.D., 
New  York,  185 1  ;  The  Relations  of  the  Medical  to 
the  Legal  Profession,  an  introductory  address  deliv- 
ered at  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  New 
York,  1856;  A  medico-legal  exa7ninatio7t  of  the  case 
of  Charles  B.  Huntingtoit,  with  remarks  on  moral 
insanity  and  on  the  legal  test  of  sanity.  New  York, 
1857  ;  Beck's  Elements  of  Medical  Jurisprudence, 
eleventh  edition.  Revised  and  edited  by  C.  R.  Gil- 
man, M.D.,  Philadelphia,  i860. 

Dr.  Gilman's  successor  in  the  chair  of  obstetrics 
was  T.  Gaillard  Tho?nas,  M.D.,  who  had  been  pro- 
fessor   adjunct    since     1864.       He    graduated     at    the 


THE   FACULTY.  T39 

Medical  College  of  South  Carolina  in  1852  ;  becom- 
ing' soon  afterward  a  resident  of  New  York  and  ac- 
quiring- a  reputation  for  unusual  aptitude  in  both  the 
teaching  and  practice  of  obstetrics.  He  was  for  five 
years  a  lecturer  on  this  subject  in  the  Medical  De- 
partment of  the  University  of  the  City  of  New  York, 
and  was  equally  successful  in  the  instruction  of  pri- 
vate pupils.  As  professor  in  the  College  of  Physi- 
cians and  Surgeons,  his  superiority  became  widely 
known.  After  some  years  his  attention  was  turned 
more  exclusively  in  the  direction  of  gynecology,  and 
his  weekly  clinic  for  diseases  of  women  made  a  most 
attractive  feature  of  the  college  course.  In  1872  he 
was  relieved  of  the  obstetrical  portion  of  his  duties  by 
the  appointment  of  Dr.  James  W.  McLane  as  pro- 
fessor adjunct;  and  some  years  later  the  chair  was 
formally  divided.  Dr.  Thomas  becoming  professor  of 
Gynecology  and  Dr.  McLane  professor  of  Obstetrics. 
In  1882  Dr.  Thomas  resigned  the  didactic  portion  of 
his  chair  and  was  made  professor  of  Clinical  Gyne- 
cology, retaining  the  charge  of  his  weekly  clinic  ;  and 
in  1885  the  department  was  again  completed  by  the 
appointment  of  Dr.  George  M.  Tuttle  as  professor 
of  Gynecology.  Dr.  Tuttle,  who  was  a  graduate  of 
the  College  in  the  class  of  1880,  had  already  served 
as  assistant  to  the  professor  of  obstetrics  and  as 
lecturer  adjunct  on  gynecology. 

The  next  chair  to  lose  its  incumbent  was  that  of 
materia  medica,  vacated  in  1866  by  the  -death  of  pro- 
fessor Joseph   M.  Smith,  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven 


I40  CHANGES  IN 

years.  ~  Dr.  Smith  had  long  been  the  senior  member 
of  the  faculty,  having  the  unique  distinction  of  a  con- 
tinuous service  of  forty  years  as  professor  in  the  Col- 
lege. For  the  following  session  the  lectures  in  this 
department  were  delivered  by  Dr.  Freeman  J.  Bum- 
stead,  who  also  lectured  in  the  College  on  venereal 
diseases.  But  in  1867-8  the  course  on  materia  med- 
ica  was  given  by  Dr.  ^ames  W.  McLane  as  lecturer ; 
and  in  1868  he  was  duly  appointed  professor.  Dr. 
McLane  was  an  alumnus  of  1864,  having  thus  become 
professor  in  the  College  after  the  unusually  short 
period  of  four  years  from  the  date  of  his  graduation. 
He  retained  this  position  until  1872,  when  he  resigned 
it  to  take  part  in  the  course  on  obstetrics,  for  which 
subject  he  had  a  strong  predilection.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded in  the  department  of  materia  medica  by  Dr. 
Edward  Ctirtis,  who  was  appointed  lecturer  in  1872 
and  professor  in  1873. 

Dr.  Curtis  graduated  in  medicine  at  the  university 
of  Pennsylvania  in  1864,  and  immediately  afterward 
entered  the  medical  service  of  the  army  of  the  United 
States  as  assistant  surgeon.  Here  he  continued  for 
some  years,  occupied  mainly  in  the  microscopical 
section  of  the  Army  Medical  Museum  at  Washington. 
After  resio-nino-  his  commission  he  established  his 
residence  in  New  York,  where  he  gave  a  series  of 
lectures  in  the  College  on  histology,  and  was  there- 
upon selected  to  fill  the  vacant  department  of  materia 
medica.  He  discharged  the  duties  of  this  chair  with 
distinguished     ability    for    fourteen    years,    when    the 


2HE  FACULTY.  I4I 

pressure  of  other  occupations  induced  him  to  withdraw 
from  active  connection  with  the  College.  His  place 
was  taken  by  Dr.  George  L.  Peabody,  an  alumnus  of 
1873,  who  was  appointed  lecturer  in  1886  and  pro- 
fessor in  1887.  He  was  already  visiting  physician  to 
the  New  York  Hospital,  and  had  acquired  a  high 
reputation  as  pathologist  in  the  same  institution. 

The  professor  of  anatomy,  Dr.  Robert  Watts,  died 
in  1867,  after  a  faithful  service  of  twenty-eight  years. 
His  chair  was  filled  by  the  appointment  of  Dr.  Heiiry 
B.  Sands,  an  alumnus  of  1854,  who  had  acted  for  some 
years  as  Assistant  Demonstrator  and  Demonstrator  of 
anatomy,  and  as  lecturer  adjunct  on  anatomy  in  the 
preceding  session.  He  continued  in  this  professor- 
ship until  1879,  when  he  was  transferred  to  the  de- 
partment of  practical  surgery,  and  Dr.  Thomas  T. 
Sabine  became  professor  of  anatomy.  Dr.  Sabine 
was  an  alumnus  of  1864,  and,  like  his  predecessor, 
had  served  as  Assistant  Demonstrator  and  Demon- 
strator of  anatomy.  For  eight  years  he  had  been 
professor  adjunct  of  anatomy,  performing  during  that 
time  a  considerable  portion  of  the  duties  of  the  chair. 
The  extent  and  accuracy  of  his  information,  and  his 
ability  and  originality  as  a  teacher,  were  manifested  in 
a  variety  of  ways  ;  and  the  value  of  his  instruction 
was  enhanced  by  many  novel  methods  and  ingenious 
appliances.  It  may  almost  be  said  that  he  opened  a 
new  field  for  demonstration  in  one  of  the  most  demon- 
strative branches  of  medical  science. 

The   chair   of  surgery  became  vacant  in  1870  by 


142  CHANGES  IN 

the  resienation  of  Dr.  Willard  Parker.  This  distin- 
g'uished  character,  equally  eminent  as  professor  and 
practitioner,  was  for  thirty  years  the  most  notable 
member  of  the  college  organization.  Immediately  on 
his  appointment  in  1S40  his  influence  became  felt 
amonof  his  associates,  and  from  that  time  forward  he 
was  a  leader  in  all  measures  for  the  support  or  ad- 
vancement of  the  institution.  He  originated  the  col- 
lege clinics  in  1841.  In  company  with  Dr.  Watts  he 
secured  for  the  College,  by  purchase  from  its  former 
owner,  an  important  part  of  the  existing  anatomical 
museum.  He  was  instrumental,  in  1850,  in  throwing 
open  to  students  the  clinical  advantages  of  Bellevue 
Hospital,  where  he  was  attending  surgeon.  He  was 
one  of  the  founders  of  the  Pathological  Society  and  of 
the  Academy  of  Medicine,  and  he  served  as  presiding 
officer  in  both  institutions.  He  urged  and  aided, 
against  many  serious  obstacles,  the  removal  of  the 
College  to  Twenty-third  street ;  and  for  twenty  years 
afterward  he  carried  upon  his  own  shoulders  the 
greater  part  of  its  financial  responsibilities.  With  a 
robust  and  active  frame,  great  mental  fortitude,  and  a  • 
hopeful  and  enterprising  disposition,  he  had  the  faculty 
of  communicating  to  others  a  portion  of  his  own  im- 
pulsive energy.  He  was  not  given  to  elaborate  re- 
search, nor  versed  in  the  minutiae  of  medical  literature. 
But  he  possessed  the  ready  judgment  and  intelligent 
self-reliance  of  a  skilful  practitioner;  and  in  cases  of 
doubt  or  difficulty  he  was  a  tower  of  strength  to  his 
patients    and   his    colleagues.      In    the   lecture    room 


THE   FACULTY. 


H3 


his  language  was  simple,  direct  and  appropriate ;  and 
its  meaning  was  often  reinforced  by  a  homely  or  ex- 
pressive illustration.      His   pupils  always  retained,   in 


WiLLARD  Parker,  M.D., 

Professor  of  Surgery,    1 840-1 870. 

From  a  portrait  in  the  possession  of  the  College,  painted  by  Huntington  in 

1871. 

after  years,  a  vivid  remembrance  of  his  commanding 
form,  his  genial  manners,  and  his  sound  and  practical 
instruction. 

After  relinquishing  his  didactic  lectures  Dr.  Parker 


144  CHANGES  IN 

accepted  the  professorship  of  CHnical  Surger)^  which 
he  held  for  ten  years  longer,  often  taking  a  considera- 
ble part  in  the  work  of  clinical  teaching.  In  1872  he 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  and 
afterward  vice-president  of  the  College ;  and  to  the 
end  of  his  life  he  continued  to  manifest  his  regard  for 
the  institution  and  his  warm  interest  in  its  welfare. 
He  died  in  1884,  at  the  age  of  eighty-four  years. 

Notwithstanding  Dr.  Parker's  resignation  there 
was  no  interruption  of  the  surgical  professorship, 
which  for  ten  years  had  been  partly  in  charge  of  Dr. 
Thomas  M.  Markoe,  as  professor  adjunct.  He  was 
an  alumnus  of  1841,  and  had  long  occupied  a  high 
rank  in  the  profession  ;  and  on  the  occurrence  of  the 
nominal  vacancy  in  1870,  he  was  created  professor  of 
Surgery.  He  delivered  the  lectures  of  this  depart- 
ment until  1879,  when  the  chair  was  divided;  Dr. 
Markoe  continuing  as  professor  of  the  Principles  of 
Surgery,  and  Dr.  Sands  becoming  professor  of  the 
Practice  of  Surgery.  This  arrangement  answered  for 
some  years  the  growing  requirements  of  the  sufgical 
chair;  but  in  1886  a  further  provision  was  made  by 
the  appointment  of  additional  lecturers.  Dr.  William 
T.  Bull,  an  alumnus  of  1872,  and  attending  surgeon 
to  the  New  York  Hospital,  was  appointed  lecturer 
adjunct  on  the  Practice  of  Surgery ;  and  Dr.  Richard 
y.  Hall,  an  alumnus  of  1878,  and  attending  surgeon 
to  St.  Luke's  Hospital,  became  lecturer  adjunct  on  the 
Principles  of  Surgery.  Both  these  gentlemen  dis- 
charged the  duties  assigned  them  during  the  following 


THE   FACULTY.  145 

session  ;  and  in  1887  they  were  appointed  professors 
adjunct  in  their  respective  departments. 

In  1876  the  professorship  of  chemistry  changed 
hands  owing  to  the  death  of  Dr.  St.  John,  who  for 
ten  years  had  performed  the  duties  of  the  chair  with 
assiduous  fidelity.  He  was  devoted  to  his  subject, 
which  he  taught  in  a  clear  and  simple  style,  according 
to  established  rnethods.  His  intellectual  and  moral 
integrity  led  him  to  avoid  all  doubtful  or  unnecessary 
statements  ;  and  he  never  failed  to  distinguish  be- 
tween his  actual  and  his  theoretical  knowledge.  An 
interested  student  of  nature  in  all  its  departments,  he 
was  especially  fond  of  astronomy ;  and  his  private  ob- 
servatory, equipped  with  a  transit  instrument  and  an 
equatorial  telescope,  was  for  many  years  his  favorite 
means  of  scientific  recreation.  His  modest  and  truth- 
ful nature,  and  his  unselfish  disposition,  gave  him 
a  strong  hold  on  the  regard  and  confidence  of  his 
brother  professors. 

The  chair  of  chemistry  was  then  filled  by  Dr. 
Charles  F.  Chandler,  who  had  been  professor  adjunct 
since  1872.  He  was  also  professor  of  the  same  de- 
partment in  the  School  of  Mines  of  Columbia  College, 
in  which  he  had  been  actively  interested  since  its 
organization.  He  was  educated  at  the  Lawrence 
Scientific  School  of  Harvard  University  and  at  the 
University  of  Gottingen ;  and  he  had  received  the 
honorary  degree  of  M.D.  from  the  Universit)-  of  the 
City  of  New  York.  He  was  thoroughly  familiar  with 
the  modern  developments  of  scientific   and  technical 


146  CHANGES  IN 

chemistry,  and  could  present  them  to  his  audience  in 
an  especially  interesting  and  instructive  way. 

In  pathology  and  practical  medicine,  Dr.  Clark  was 
relieved  from  a  portion  of  his  labors  in  1876  by  Dr. 
Francis  Delajield,  an  alumnus  of  1863,  and  the  son  of 
Dr.  Edward  Delafield,  former  president  of  the  College. 
He  shared  the  duties  of  the  chair,  as  professor  ad- 
junct, until.  1882,  when  he  received  the  full  appoint- 
ment of  professor  in  this  department. 

The  chair  of  physiology  was  supplemented  in  18/6 
by  Dr.  JoJui  G.  Cttrtis  as  professor  adjunct.  Dr. 
Curtis  was  an  alumnus  of  1870,  and  a  brother  of  Dr. 
Edward  Curtis,  the  professor  of  materia  medica  ;  and 
he  had  served  as  Assistant  Demonstrator  and  Demon- 
strator of  anatomy  from  1871  to  1875.  He  continued 
in  charge  of  various  portions  of  the  physiological 
course,  showing  eminent  ability  in  the  arrangement 
and  application  of  experimental  methods,  until  1883, 
when  Dr.  Dalton  resigned  the  professorship  and  Dr. 
Curtis  was  appointed  to  the  chair  of  physiology. 

Beside  this  renovation  in  the  membership  of  the 
faculty,  there  were  other  changes,  of  equal  importance, 
in  the  distribution  of  subjects  and  in  the  mode  of  pro- 
viding for  appointments. 

Among  the  most  noticeable  of  these  changes  was 
the  increase  in  the  number  of  instructors  officially  at- 
tached to  the  institution.  Owing  to  the  greater  va- 
riety and  prominence  of  the  college  clinics  it  was 
■deemed  advisable,  in  1869,  to  establish  a  new  grade 
of  teachers  under  the  name  of  Clinical  Professors  ; 


THE   FACULTY.  147 

each  of  whom  should  be  in  charge  of  his  special  clinic, 
with  such  subordinates  and  assistants  as  he  might  re- 
quire. At  first  only  three  such  appointments  were 
made  ;  but  others  were  soon  added  to  the  list,  and  in 
1883  there  were  six  clinical  professors,  beside  the 
"  professor  of  clinical  gynecology,"  Dr.  Thomas,  and 
the  "  professor  of  clinical  medicine,"  Dr.  Draper. 

Moreover  there  was  a  tendency,  in  the  didactic  de- 
partments, to  subdivision  of  the  chairs  ;  gynecology 
being  separated  from  obstetrics  in  1879,  and  the  prac- 
tice of  surgery  from  the  principles  of  surgery  in  the  same 
year.  This  was  due  to  the  general  movement  toward 
specialization,  as  well  as  to  the  growth  of  material  and 
the  increased  requirements  for  instruction  in  every 
branch  of  medicine.  It  was  a  further  continuation  of 
what  had  been  slowly  going  on  for  many  years.  In 
former  times  widely  different  subjects  had  been  often 
entrusted  to  the  same  teacher.  In  the  session  of 
1807-8  the  professor  of  materia  medica  and  botany 
also  lectured  on  surgery  and  midwifery ;  and  in  that 
of  1811-12  Dr.  Hosack,  who  was  professor  of  the 
*'  Theory  and  Practice  of  Physic  and  Clinical  Medi- 
cine," also  gave  the  lectures  on  midwifery  and  the  dis- 
eases of  women  and  children.  From  1808  to  18 14 
Dr.  John  Augustine  Smith  was  professor  of  "Anatomy 
and  Surgery ;  "  and  at  the  reorganization  of  the  Col- 
lege in  1826  he  was  appointed  professor  of  "i\natomy 
and  Physiology."  In  1847,  when  the  number  of  profes- 
sorships was  increased  from  six  to  seven,  physiology 
was  associated  with  pathology;   and  even  after  beino- 


148  CHANGES  IN 

recognized  as  a  distinct  branch  in  1855,  it  still  carried 
with  it  for  several  years  the  added  title  of  "  microsco- 
pic anatomy."  The  occasional  redistribution  of  sub- 
jects, which  took  place  during  this  time,  was  partly  in 
accordance  with  the  preferences  or  qualifications  of  in- 
dividual professors ;  but  as  a  rule  it  was  in  the  direc- 
tion of  further  subdivision  of  the  chairs. 

For  instruction  in  the  dissecting  room,  beside  the 
Demonstrator  of  anatomy  there  were  successively 
added  a  First  and  Second  Assistant  Demonstrator  ; 
and  the  Director  of  the  Physiological  and  Pathologi- 
cal Laboratory  was  also  provided  with  assistants,  as 
their  services  became  requisite.  There  were  further- 
more, recognized  and  approved  by  the  College,  teach- 
ers for  private  classes  in  various  practical  and  demon- 
strative branches.  In  the  annual  catalogues,  the  list 
of  those  connected  with  the  regular  college  instruction 
increased  from  nine  or  ten  to  more  than  twenty  ;  and 
the  "  clinical  assistants,"  occupied  in  the  necessary 
work  of  the  college  clinics,  two  in  number  in  1858, 
amounted  to  thirty  in  1883. 

Lastly  it  became  a  practice,  during  this  period,  to 
appoint  professors  adju7ict,  without  waiting  for  ^ctual 
vacancies  in  the  faculty.  It  was  usually  done  at  the 
instance  of  the  regular  professor,  who  named  for  the  po- 
sition some  one  whom  he  believed  to  possess  the  req- 
uisite ability.  If  acceptable  to  his  colleagues,  the  can- 
didate was  recommended  to  the  Trustees  for  appoint- 
ment as  "  Lecturer  adjunct ;  "  and,  if  approved  at  the 
end  of  a  year,  he  was  appointed  "  Professor  adjunct." 


THE  FACULTY.  1 49 

He  was  then  assigned  such  portion  of  the  lectures  as 
the  senior  professor  might  determine,  their  number 
being  usually  increased  from  time  to  time  ;  and  on  the 
resignation  of  the  senior  professor  he  became,  of 
course,  the  most  prominent  candidate  for  the  chair. 
Of  the  nine  professors  appointed  subsequently  to 
1858,  six  had  already  served  as  professors  adjunct  for 
periods  varying  from  two  to  ten  years. 

This  custom  was  not  established  by  any  formal 
action  of  the  faculty,  and  was  not  considered  as  obli- 
gatory on  the  professors  ;  but  it  had  such  obvious 
advantages  that  it  was  readily  adopted  whenever 
circumstances  made  it  desirable  and  possible.  The 
annual  course  of  instruction  in  a  great  medical  school 
is  too  important  a  matter  to  be  left  to  the  daily 
chances  of  life  and  health.  The  professor  in  a  given 
department  may  at  any  time  be  disabled  by  illness  or 
accident,  to  the  temporary  interruption  of  his  course  ; 
and  either  his'  death  or  resignation  may  occur  unex- 
pectedly, from  causes  which  are  not  foreseen.  In  any 
event  there  should  be  a  candidate  ready  to  fill  his 
place,  who  has  the  necessary  personal  and  professional 
qualities,  and  whose  capacity  as  a  teacher  is  not  alto- 
gether untried.  When  such  provision  has  been  made 
beforehand,  it  adds  greatly  to  the  strength  of  the  in- 
stitution. Moreover,  the  senior  professor  can  often 
relinquish  with  advantage  a  part  of  his  duties  ;  and 
the  new  incumbent  has  the  benefit  of  a  more  gradual 
preparation  for  his  future  work. 

The  president  of  the  College,  Dr.  Edward  Dela- 


150  CHANGES  IN 

FIELD,  continued  in  office  from  his  election  in  1858 
until  his  death  in  1875  ;  during  which  time  he  accom- 
plished much  for  the  advancement  of  the  institution. 
He  effected,  in  i860,  its  withdrawal  from  the  imme- 
diate authority  of  the  Regents  of  the  University, 
and  its  union  on  the  present  basis  with  Columbia  Col- 
lege. He  took  an  active  part  in  forming  the  Alumni 
Association.  His  signature  headed  the  list  on  the  call 
for  its  first  meeting,  to  be  held  at  his  own  residence  ; 
and  five  years  afterward  he  made  from  his  private 
means  the  first  move  toward  establishing  the  Prize 
Fund  of  the  association.  A  graduate  of  the  College 
within  the  first  ten  years  of  its  existence,  appointed 
professor  at  its  reorganization  in  1826,  elected  a  mem- 
ber of  its  Board  of  Trustees  in  1839,  and  administering 
its  affairs  as  president  for  the  unusually  long  period  of 
seventeen  years,  he  may  be  said  to  have  followed  its 
fortunes  and  taken  an  interest  in  its  welfare  for  more 
than  half  a  century.  He  was  always  zealous  for  its 
reputation  and  earnestly  devoted  to.  its  prosperity. 

Dr.  Alonzo  Clark,  the  ninth  president  of  the 
College,  was  elected  in  1875,  while  still  occupying 
the  chair  of  pathology  and  practical  medicine.  Dur- 
ing the  whole  time  of  his  service  as  professor  the 
growth  of  his  reputation  had  been  uninterrupted  ;  and 
among  the  alumni  of  the  College,  the  hospital  internes 
and  the  profession  at  large,  he  was  long  regarded  as 
the  first  consulting  practitioner  in  the  city.  He  seemed 
to  attain  this  position  without  striving  for  it,  by  the 
sole  influence  of  his  unobtrusive  but  substantial  merit. 


THE   FACULTY.  151 

With  an  integrity  and  impartiality  that  were  pro- 
verbial, he  was  equally  well  known  for  his  assiduity 
and  precision  in  the  pursuit  of  knowledge.  He  was 
an  active  member  of  the  Pathological  Society,  where 
he  surpassed  all  others  in  the  number  and  variety  of 
his  contributions  ;  and  in  the  Academy  of  Medicine 
few  speakers  could  command  more  respectful  and 
earnest  attention.  His  largest  field  of  activity  was 
Bellevue  Hospital,  where  he  was  attending  physician 
for  thirty  years,  and  where  he  found  his  most  abun- 
dant material  for  clinical  study  and  instruction.  In 
his  methods  he  was  industrious,  critical  and  conserva- 
tive ;  resorting  to  every  available  source  of  informa- 
tion, and  examining  with  the  same  caution  the  con- 
clusions of  other  observers  and  his  own.  In  him,  the 
scientific  and  practical  elements  were  closely  combined  ; 
and  so  long  as  he  continued  in  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession, he  never  gave  up  the  use  of  his  microscope, 
his  test-tube  and  his  library. 

After  a  service  of  nine  years  Dr.  Clark  found  his 
physical  powers  inadequate  to  the  formal  duties  of  his 
position,  and  in  1884  he  resigned  the  presidency.  It 
was  filled  by  the  election  of  Dr.  Dalton,  who  had  re- 
tired from  his  professorship  in  the  previous  year. 

Owing  to  the  above  changes  the  constitution  of 
the  faculty  again  became  a  new  one,  as  follows  : 


152  CHANGES  IN  THE   FACULTY. 

THE    FACULTY    IN    1 88/. 

John  C.  Dalton,  M.D,,  President. 
Thomas  M.   Markoe,  M.D.,  Professor  of  the  Princi- 
ples of  Surgery. 
Henry  B.  Sands,  M.D.,  Professor  of  the  Practice  of 

Surgery. 
James  W.  McLane,  M.D.,  Professor  of  Obstetrics  and 

the  Diseases  of  Children. 
Thomas  T.  Sabine,  M.D.,  Professor  of  Anatomy. 
Charles  F.  Chandler,  M.D.,  Professor  of  Chemistry. 
Francis    Delafield,    M.D.,    Professor   of  Pathology 

and  Practical  Medicine. 
John  G.  Curtis,  M.D.,  Professor  of  Physiology. 
George  M.  Tuttle,  M.D.,  Professor  of  Gynecology. 
George    L.    Peabody,    M.D.,    Professor   of  Materia 

Medica  and  Therapeutics. 
William    T.    Bull,    M.D.,   Professor  adjunct   of  the 

Practice  of  Surgery. 
Richard    J.    Hall,    M.D,,   Professor   adjunct   of  the 

Principles  of  Sttrgery. 

And  the  following  Clinical  Professors : 
T.  Gaillard  Thomas,  M.D.,  Clinical  Gynecology. 
William  H.  Draper,  M.D.,  Clinical  Medicine. 
Cornelius  R.  Agnew,  M.D.,  Diseases  of  the  Eye  and 

Ear. 
Abraham  Jacobi,  M.D.,  Diseases  of  Children. 
Fessenden  N.  Otis,  M.D,,   Venereal  Diseases. 
Edward    C.  Seguin,   M,D.,  Diseases  of  the   Nervous 

System. 
George  M.  Lefferts,  M.D.,  Laryngology. 
George  H.  Fox,  M.D.,  Diseases  of  the  Skin. 
Robert  F.  Weir,  M.D.,  Clinical  Surgery. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

GIFTS    AND    BEQUESTS    TO    THE    COLLEGE. 
1875-1886. 

Beside  the  gifts  and  bequests  already  mentioned, 
made  to  the  College  or  to  the  Alumni  as  special  en- 
dowments for  prize  funds  or  lectureships,  there  were 
others  of  more  extensive  application  and  intended  for 
more  general  purposes. 

The  first  was  a  bequest  from  Dr.  John  McClel- 
land, a  former  graduate  of  the  College.  He  was  the 
son  of  a  farmer  in  Saratoga  county,  New  York,  where, 
during  the  earlier  part  of  his  life,  he  followed  his 
father's  occupation.  But  he  was  bent  on  acquiring  an 
education  ;  and  although  he  only  began  to  carry  this 
design  into  effect  after  attaining  his  majority,  he  then 
applied  himself  to  it  with  such  success  that  in  due  time 
he  entered  at  Union  College,  Schenectady,  where  he 
received  the  degree  ofA.B.  in  1832.  After  complet- 
ing his  academic  course  at  this  institution,  he  pursued 
the  study  of  medicine  with  the  same  perseverance  ; 
graduating  at  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons 
in  1838,  at  the  age  of  thirty-three  years.  Not  long 
afterward  he  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  city  Lunatic 
Asylum  on  Blackwell's  Island,  where  he  remained  four 
years;  and  in   1845-6  he  was  the  Resident  Physician 


154  GIFTS  AND   BEQUESTS 

of  Bellevue  Hospital,  an  office  including  the  whole  re- 
sponsibility of  the  medical  superintendence  and  admin- 
istration of  the  hospital  as  it  then  was.  He  subse- 
quently practised  his  profession  in  the  city,  devoting 
himself  to  its  duties  with  extreme  assiduity  for  nearly 
thirty  years.  He  was  liberal  and  considerate  toward 
his  patients,  and  always  friendly  and  generous  in  his 
intercourse  with  younger  practitioners.  Though  never 
distinguished  for  a  very  extensive  or  lucrative  practice, 
by  continuous  industry  and  prudent  management  of 
his  affairs  he  gradually  acquired  a  handsome  compe- 
tence ;  leaving  at  his  death  in  1875  an  estate  of  nearly 
ninety  thousand  dollars. 

Dr.  McClelland  always  retained  a  warm  regard 
for  the  institutions  where  he  had  received  his  aca- 
demic and  professional  education  ;  and  in  his  will, 
executed  two  years  before  his  death,  he  made  be- 
quests of  equal  value  to  Union  College  and  to  the 
College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons.  The  latter  be- 
quest was  in  two  equal  portions,  one  of  which  was 
given  to  the  College  proper,  the  other  to  the  Associ- 
ation of  Alumni;  "to  be  used,  in  their  several  dis- 
cretions, towards  advancing  professional  education  by 
establishing  free  scholarships,  the  purchasing  of  med- 
ical apparatus  and  books  for  libraries,  or  aiding  in  the 
erection  of  buildings  for  their  accommodation  and 
convenience  respectively."  At  the  final  settlement  of 
the  estate  in  1884  the  amount  realized  from  this  be- 
quest by  the  College  and  the  Alumni  Association  was 
a  little  over  Fifteen  Thousand  dollars  each. 


TO    THE   COLLEGE.  1 55 

In  1883  Mr.  James  T.  Swift,  of  the  city  of  New 
York,  made  a  gift  of  Ten  Thousand  dollars  for  the 
equipment  and  maintenance  in  the  College  of  a  phy- 
siological cabinet,  in  memory  of  his  late  brother,  Fos- 
ter Swift,  M.D.,  a  graduate  of  the  year  1857.  Dr. 
Swift  was  one  of  the  most  promising  men  of  his  time  ; 
and  with  prolonged  life  and  health  he  would  have 
risen  to  a  high  rank  in  the  profession.  His  amiable 
disposition,  attractive  person,  and  engaging  manners, 
no  less  than  his  ready  aptitude  and  quick  intelligence, 
made  him  a  favorite  with  all,  and  opened  before  him 
a  sure  prospect  of  success.  He  served  in  the  College 
as  assistant  to  the  professor  of  obstetrics  from  1861 
to  1865,  and  became  attending  physician  to  St.  Luke's 
Hospital,  the  Nursery  and  Child's  Hospital,  and  the 
Woman's  Hospital.  He  was  subsequently  clinical 
professor  of  diseases  of  the  skin  in  the  Bellevue 
Hospital  Medical  College,  and  lastly  professor  of  ob- 
stetrics in  the  Long  Island  College  Hospital,  Brook- 
lyn. It  was  this  department  to  which  he  was  espe- 
cially devoted,  and  in  which  he  showed  the  highest 
promise  of  future  eminence.  But  the  symptoms  of 
commencing  phthisis  compelled  him  to  relinquish  its 
duties ;  and  after  resorting  to  various  climates  in  the 
hope  of  regaining  his  health,  he  died  at  the  island  of 
Santa  Cruz,  in  1875,  at  the  age  of  forty-two  years. 

His  brother,  Mr.  James  T.  Swift,  wished  to  estab- 
lish in  his  honor  a  permanent  memorial,  Avhich  should 
be  useful  to  the  College  and  subservient  to  medical 
education  and  research.     With  this  object  he  created 


156  GIFTS  AND  BEQUESTS 

the  fund  known  as  the  Foster  Swift  Memorial  Fund  ; 
to  be  used  for  the  purchase  and  safe-keeping  of  the 
"  more  expensive,  deHcate,  and  complicated  instru- 
ments and  appliances,  mainly  instruments  of  precision, 
requisite  for  the  pursuit  of  physiological  science." 
This  collection,  designated  as  the  Swift  Physiological 
Cabijiet,  was  to  be  kept  in  a  special  apartment,  for 
the  use  and  under  the  immediate  charge  of  the  pro- 
fessor of  physiology.  As  there  were  then  no  proper 
accommodations  for  such  a  collection  in  the  college 
building,  the  fund  was  placed  at  interest  until  the  time 
should  arrive  when  a  new  building  could  be  obtained 
and  a  suitable  apartment  appropriated  therein  for  the 
purpose  required. 

This  object,  which  had  become  on  all  sides  a  pres- 
sing necessity,  was  realized  sooner  than  was  antici- 
pated ;  for  in  the  following  year  the  College  received 
the  most  ample  donation  ever  made  to  a  medical 
school  in  the  United  States.  In  October,  1884,  Mr. 
William  Henry  Vanderbilt  crave  to  the  institution  the 
land  which  it  now  occupies,  comprising  nearly  half  the 
block  between  Fifty-ninth  and  Sixtieth  streets,  Ninth 
and  Tenth  Avenues ;  and  a  fund  of  Three  Hundred 
Thousand  dollars  for  the  erection  thereon  of  new 
buildings.  As  the  cost  of  the  land  was  Two  Hundred 
Thousand  dollars,  the  value  of  the  whole  donation  was 
half  a  million. 

In  his  letter  announcing  the  gift,  Mr.  Vanderbilt 
says  : 

"  I  have  been  for  some  time  examining  the  ques- 


TO    THE   COLLEGE.  1 57 

tion  of  the  facilities  for  medical  education  which  New 
York  possesses.  The  doctors  have  claimed  that  with 
proper  encouragement  this  city  might  become  one  of 
the  most  important  centres  of  medical  instruction  in 
the  world. 

"The  health,  comfort  and  lives  of  the  whole  com- 
munity are  so  dependent  upon  skilled  physicians  that 
no  profession  requires  more  care  in  the  preparation  of 
its  practitioners.  Medicine  needs  a  permanent  home 
where  the  largest  opportunities  can  be  afforded  for 
both  theory  and  practice.  In  making  up  my  mind  to 
give  substantial  aid  to  the  effort  to  create  in  New 
York  city  one  of  the  first  medical  schools  in  the  world, 
I  have  been  somewhat  embarrassed  as  to  the  manner 
in  which  the  object  could  be  most  quickly  and  effect- 
ively reached.  It  seems  wiser  and  more  practical  to 
enlarge  an  existing  institution  which  has  already  great 
facilities,  experience  and  reputation  than  to  form  a  new 
one.  I  have  therefore  selected  the  College  of  Physi- 
cians and  Surgeons  because  it  is  the  oldest  medical 
school  in  the  State,  and  of  equal  rank  with  any  in  the 
United  States. 

"  I  have  decided  to  give  to  the  College  Five  hun- 
dred thousand  dollars,  of  which  I  have  expended  Two 
hundred  thousand  dollars  in  the  purchase  of  twenty- 
nine  lots  situated  at  Tenth  Avenue  and  59th  and  60th 
streets,  the  deed  of  which  please  find  herewith,  and 
in  selecting  their  location  I  have  consulted  with  your 
treasurer.  Dr.  J.  W.  McLane.  The  other  three  hun- 
dred please  find  enclosed  my  check  for.     The  latter 


158 


GIFTS  AND  BEQUESTS 


sum  is  to  form  a  building  fund  for  the  erection  thereon, 

from  time  to  time,  of  suitable  buildings  for  the   Col- 

1         " 
leee. 

Mr.  Vanderbilt's  personal  history  was  one  of  grad- 


WiLLiAM  Henry  Vandkrbilt. 

From  a  bust  in  the  possession  of  the  College, 

modelled  from  life  by  Mr.  J.  Q.  A.  Ward, 

1SS5. 

ual  but  continuous  development  of  a  high  order  ot 
business  capacity.  Nearly  twenty  years  of  his  early 
life  were  spent  in  the  cultivation  of  his  farm  on  Staten 
Island,  which  he  enlarged  and  improved  until  it  yielded 


TO    THE   COLLEGE.  159 

a  handsome  revenue.  Becoming  interested  in  the  af- 
fairs of  a  local  railroad,  he  proved  equally  successful  in 
its  management;  and  in  1865  he  was  adopted  by  his 
father,  Cornelius  Vanderbilt,  as  aid  and  adviser  in 
the  railroad  system  under  his  control.  In  this  wider 
sphere  of  occupation  his  ability  was  soon  manifest  to 
all ;  and  he  finally  became  the  successor  to  his  father's 
business  responsibilities,  as  well  as  the  principal  heir 
to  his  wealth.  Under  his  steady  application  and  prac- 
tical judgment  both  of  these  were  greatly  increased ; 
and  for  many  years  he  exercised  a  controlling  influence 
in  the  development  and  extension  of  railroad  interests 
in  the  United  States. 

In  his  expenditures  he  was  liberal  and  unostenta- 
tious. With  but  few  tastes  for  personal  indulgence, 
he  wished  that  whatever  he  had  should  be  the  best  of 
its  kind.  In  his  stable  were  the  fleetest  trotting  horses 
in  the  country,  and  his  picture  gallery  contained  many 
works  by  the  first  artists  of  the  century.  His  simple 
and  large-minded , disposition  was  evinced  in  both  his 
public  and  private  benefactions.  In  1880  he  furnished 
one  hundred  thousand  dollars  for  the  transportation 
to  this  country  of  the  Egyptian  obelisk  now  standing 
in  Central  Park ;  and  so  quietly  was  it  done  that  the 
monument  was  placed  in  position  before  the  public 
were  aware  by  whom  the  necessary  funds  had  been 
supplied.  Four  years  later  he  advanced  to  General 
Grant  a  loan  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dol- 
lars, to  relieve  what  was  thought  to  be  a  temporary 
embarrassment.     But  when  it  turned  out  to  be  irre- 


l6o  GIFTS  AND  BEQUESTS 

trievable  ruin,  due  to  the  unsuspected  dishonesty  of  a 
business  partner,  General  Grant  insisted  upon  giving 
up  to  Mr.  Vanderbilt  all  the  real  estate  which  he  pos- 
sessed, while  Mr.  Vanderbilt  as  persistently  en- 
deavored to  cancel  the  debt.  Failino-  to  overcome 
the  scruples  of  his  distinguished  debtor,  he  consented 
to  a  generous  compromise  ;  accepting,  in  full  discharge 
of  the  obligation,  General  Grant's  collection  of  military 
relics,  medals  and  trophies,  which  he  at  once  presented 
to  the  government  at  Washington,  to  be  held  as  the 
property  of  the  nation. 

At  the  time  of  making  his  donation  to  the  College, 
Mr.  Vanderbilt  was  sixty-three  years  of  age,  and  had 
retired  in  great  measure  from  active  business.  His 
family  physician  was  the  professor  of  obstetrics  in  the 
College,  Dr.  McLane,  for  whom  he  entertained  a 
strong  feeling  of  friendship,  and  upon  whose  judg- 
ment in  medical  matters  he  was  accustomed  fully  to 
rely.  His  first  intention  was  to  have  given  a  sum 
sufficient  to  rebuild  on  the  location  of  the  Twenty-third 
street  property ;  but  he  soon  felt  that  this  would  be  an 
injudicious  policy,  and  decided  to  enlarge  the  gift  so 
that  the  institution  might  be  removed  to  some  point 
more  in  keeping  with  the  continuous  growth  of  the 
city.  Nearly  a  year  was  spent  in  inquiries  and  exami- 
nations with  this  object  before  the  land  at  Fifty-ninth 
street  was  secured  and  the  deed  executed.  All  the 
preliminary  negotiations  were  conducted  by  Dr.  Mc 
Lane,  and  the  property  even  remained  in  his  hands 
for  six  months  thereafter,  until  it  could  be  legally  trans- 


TO    THE   COLLEGE.  l6l 

ferred  to  the  College.  By  a  provision  in  its  charter, 
the  institution  could  hold  property  only  to  the  amount 
of  One  Hundred  and  Fifty  Thousand  dollars  ;  and  it 
was  necessary  to  apply  to  the  legislature  for  an  amend- 
ment relieving  it  from  this  restriction.  The  amend- 
ment was  granted  by  an  act  passed  April  17th,  1885  ; 
whereupon  the  land  and  the  building  fund  were  for- 
mally placed  in  the  possession  of  the  College. 

But  Mr.  Vanderbilt  was  not  destined  to  witness 
the  completion  of  his  munificent  enterprise.  Though 
in  the  apparent  enjoyment  of  health  and  vigor,  his 
tissues  were  undergoing  the  insidious  change  which 
prepares  them  for  cerebral  hemorrhage  ;  and  on  the 
eighth  of  December,  1885,  little  more  than  a  year 
from  the  date  of  his  benefaction,  he  was  stricken  down 
by  an  apoplectic  attack  so  sudden  and  overwhelming 
that  his  death  was  nearly  instantaneous.  Less  than 
three  hours  before,  he  had  finished  his  last  sitting  for 
the  portrait  bust  now  standing  in  the  main  hall  of  the 
College. 

Not  long  after  the  death  of  Mr.  Vanderbilt  his 
plans  for  the  enlargement  of  the  College  were  ex- 
tended in  additional  directions  by  the  surviving  mem- 
bers of  his  family.  They  appreciated  the  far-reaching 
value  of  an  endowment  which,  by  increasing  the  fa- 
cilities for  medical  education,  provided  for  the  more 
intelligent  and  successful  treatment  of  disease  ;  and 
early  in  the  following  year  they  founded  two  new  and 
important  institutions,  to  be  engrafted  on  the  college 
organization. 


1 62  GIFTS  AND  BEQUESTS 

In   January,    1886,   a  communication  was  received 
from  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  D.  Sloane,  the  son-in- 
law  and  the  daughter  of  Mr.  Vanderbilt,  proposing  to 
erect  and  endow,  on  the  college  grounds,  a  lying-in 
asylum,  to  be  known  as  the  "  Sloane  Maternity  Hos- 
pital  of  the    College   of   Physicians    and    Surgeons." 
The  plan  for  this  establishment,   which  was  at  once 
approved  and  accepted  by  the  Trustees  of  the  Col- 
lege, included  the  construction  of  the  hospital  by  Mr. 
Sloane,  its  transfer  to  the  Board  of  Trustees  as  the 
property  of  the  College,  and   its  endowment  by  Mrs. 
Sloane  for  the  maintenance  of  thirty  free  beds  for  its 
inmates.      A    plot   of  land,    seventy-five   feet   by   one 
hundred,    on    the    southwest    corner    of    the    college 
oTounds,  at  Fifty-ninth  street  and  Tenth  Avenue,  was 
appropriated   for  its  use.      Its  administration  was  en- 
trusted to  a  board  of  five  managers,  consisting  of  the 
president  of  the  College,  Mr.  Sloane  or  his  represent- 
ative, a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  and  two 
members  of  the  Faculty.     The  service  of  the  hospital 
was  to  be  directed   by  the  professor  of  obstetrics   in 
the  College,  with  a  resident  staff  appointed  from  its 
alumni  ;   and  under  their  supervision  the  members  of. 
each  graduating  class  were  to  attend  in  turn  upon  the 
cases  of  midwifery  occurring  in  the  institution.     This 
unique  establishment  was  welcomed  by  all,  as  a  most 
valuable  addition  to  a  department  heretofore  extremely 
limited  in  the  means  of  practical  instruction. 

During  the  past   twenty  years  the  growth  of  the 
climes  had   been   one   of   the    principal   reasons   why 


TO   THE   COLLEGE.  1 63 

more  space  and  accommodation  were  required  for  the 
College.  It  appeared  likely  that  in  its  new  location 
this  growth  would  be  still  greater ;  and  it  became  a 
question  whether  the  clinical  department  should  not 
have  an  establishment  of  its  own,  apart  from  the  di- 
dactic and  laboratory  instruction  in  the  college  build- 
ing. The  advantages  of  such  a  plan  were  obvious ; 
and  in  April,  1886,  it  was  placed  on  a  practical  footing 
by  the  four  sons  of  Mr.  Vanderbilt,  namely,  Corne- 
lius, William  K.,  Frederick  W.,  and  George  W. 
Vanderbilt.  Together  they  contributed  a  sum  of 
Two  Hundred  and  Fifty  Thousand  dollars  for  the 
erection  and  maintenance,  in  connection  with  the  Col- 
lege, of  a  free  Dispensary,  as  a  special  tribute  to  their 
father's  memory,  and  as  a  fitting  testimonial  of  their 
sympathy  with  his  designs. 

This  institution  was  to  bear  the  name  of  the 
"Vanderbilt  Clinic  of  the  College  of  Physicians  and 
Surgeons."  It  was  assigned  a  location,  seventy-five 
feet  by  one  hundred,  on  the  northwest  corner  of  the 
college  grounds,  at  Tenth  Avenue  and  Sixtieth  street. 
The  building  and  its  appurtenances  were  to  be  the 
property  of  the  College  ;  and  its  board  of  management, 
like  that  of  the  Sloane  Maternity,  consisted  of  the 
president  of  the  College,  a  representative  of  the 
donors,  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  and  two 
members  of  the  Faculty.  It  provided,  in  the  most 
liberal  and  permanent  way,  for  the  medical  and  surgi- 
cal treatment  of  out-door  patients,  for  the  necessary 
accommodation  of  the  clinical  professors,  and  for  all 


164     GIFTS  AND  BEQUESTS  TO  THE  COLLEGE. 

the    general    and    special    clinical    instruction    in    the 
College. 

By  these  means,  within  two  years'  time,  the 
opportunities  possessed  by  the  institution  for  the 
enlargement  of  its  teaching  capacity  were  increased 
five  fold.  Beside  the  provision  for  more  spacious  and 
convenient  buildings,  the  amount  of  land  was  so  ample 
as  to  leave  a  considerable  surplus,  over  and  above  what 
was  required  for  their  immediate  location.  This  was 
regarded  as  one  of  the  most  valuable  features  of  the 
new  domain.  It  was  felt  by  all  concerned  that  the 
progress  in  medical  education,  which  had  been  going 
on  so  rapidly  for  a  quarter  of  a  century,  would 
undoubtedly  continue  ;  and  that  the  next  twenty-five 
years  would  bring  with  them  additional  demands,  the 
exact  nature  of  which  could  not  be  anticipated.  Ex- 
perience had  shown  that  a  building  of  limited  con- 
struction, however  ample  for  the  purposes  of  the 
time,  will  become  insufficient  when  new  methods  are 
adopted,  or  new  departments  added  to  the  old.  But 
with  part  of  the  college  grounds  yet  unoccupied,  the 
needs  of  the  future  can  be  left  to  their  own  develop- 
ment, to  be  provided  for  as  they  may  arise  in  the  time 
to  come. 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE    COLLEGE    IN    FIFTY-NINTH    STREET. 
1887-1888. 

Soon  after  the  purchase  of  the  land  at  Fifty-ninth 
street,  preparations  were  set  on  foot  for  beginning  the 
work  of  construction.  A  Building  Committee  was 
appointed  from  the  Board  of  Trustees,  to  cooperate 
with  a  committee  of  the  Faculty  and  to  report  upon 
suitable  architectural  plans  for  a  new  college  build- 
ing. 

The  matter  was  at  once  taken  into  consideration, 
and  on  the  eighth  of  April,  1885,  the  committee  re- 
ported a  general  plan,  including  the  location,  size, 
shape,  character  of  construction  and  approximate  cost 
of  the  new  building,  with  a  recommendation  that  the 
cellar  excavation  be  proceeded  with  immediately. 
The  building  was  to  front  on  Fifty-ninth  street,  ex- 
tending thence,  across  the  college  grounds,  to  Six- 
tieth street.  Subsequently  the  location  of  the  Sloane 
Maternity  Hospital  was  fixed  at  the  corner  of  Fifty- 
ninth  street  and  Tenth  Avenue,  and  that  of  the  Van- 
derbilt  Clinic  at  Tenth  Avenue  and  Sixtieth  street ; 
thus  providing  ample  space  for  light  and  air  around 
each  building. 

The  college  grounds,  like  most  of  the  land  in  that 


t66 


THE   COLLEGE  LN 


^W 

""r^' 

"'=#=^ 

<     z 

or 

UJ      -^ 

□    2 

-1 

m    < 

X     ^ 

t^a-gj%?'i,Sj^^? 


TENTH        AVENUE 


FIFTY-NINTH   STREET  I  67 

vicinity,  consisted  mainly  of  the  ledge  rock,  in  many 
places  showing  above  the  surface,  and  nowhere  cov- 
ered by  more  than  a  few  feet  of  earth.  This  feature 
of  the  locality,  while  it  had  its  advantages,  required  a 
considerable  expenditure  of  time  and  labor  in  the  work 
of  excavation ;  and  it  was  thought  desirable  to  expe- 
dite the  construction  of  the  building,  by  preparing  the 
ground  beforehand  while  the  architectural  plans  were 
in  progress.  The  recommendations  of  the  committee 
were  adopted  by  the  Board  ;  and  the  necessary  ex- 
cavation, which  included  8,920  cubic  yards  of  rock  and 
1,257  cubic  yards  of  earth,  was  begun  in  May  and  fin- 
ished in  September,  1885.  The  cost  of  this  work  was 
a  little  less  than  Fifteen  Thousand  dollars. 

Meanwhile  the  plans  for  the  superstructure  of  the 
proposed  building  were  under  discussion.  Much  con- 
sultation was  required  to  determine  the  needs  of  the 
various  departments  and  the  distribution  of  space 
most  serviceable  for  the  general  purposes  of  the  insti- 
tution. It  was  not  until  January,  1886,  that  the  com- 
mittee was  enabled  to  report  to  the  Trustees  fully 
detailed  plans,  with  specifications  and  estimates  of 
cost,  suitable  for  recommendation  to  the  Board. 
This  report  and  its  recommendations  were  approved 
and  adopted  at  the  same  meeting,  and  the  committee 
was  empowered  to  complete  the  building  contracts 
in  accordance  therewith. 

Under  this  authority  the  foundations  of  the  build- 
ing were  commenced  March  19,  1886,  the  earliest 
day  of  the  season   at  which   it  was  thought   safe    to 


i68 


THE    COLLEGE   LN 


_  K 


FIFTY^NINTH  STREET.  169 

begfin  masonry  work.  The  foundations  were  com- 
pleted during  the  following  month ;  and  when  the 
basement  walls  were  about  half  way  up,  the  corner 
stone  was  laid,  under  the  auspices  of  the  building 
committee,  on  Saturday,  April  24th,  1886, 

The  exercises  on  this  occasion  were  opened  with 
prayer  from  the  Rev.  Sullivan  H.  Weston,  D.D., 
Trustee  and  Chaplain  of  the  College.  A  leaden  box, 
containing  catalogues  and  other  documents  relating 
to  the  institution,  was  then  deposited  in  a  cavity  in  the 
basement  wall  at  the  southeast  corner  of  the  building, 
and  covered  by  the  granite  corner  stone,  which  was 
lowered  into  position,  guided  by  the  hands  of  Mr. 
George  W.  Vanderbilt.  This  ceremony  was  followed 
by  an  address  from  the  Hon.  Chauncey  M.  Depew. 
There  was  a  large  attendance,  consisting  of  the  Trus- 
tees, Faculty,  Alumni  and  other  friends  of  the  institu- 
tion, beside  the  medical  class  who  were  present  in  a 
body. 

Subsequently  the  work  proceeded  without  serious 
interruption  ;  but  the  substantial  character  of  the 
building  required  a  liberal  allowance  of  time  for  its 
construction.  The  walls  and  roof  were  completed  by 
December.  The  interior  work  went  on  during  the 
succeeding  months  ;  and  the  building  was  made  ready 
and  inaugurated  with  appropriate  exercises  on  Thurs- 
day, September  29th,  1887.  The  annual  college  ses- 
sion was  opened  on  the  following  Monday. 

The  college  edifice  consists  of  three  connected 
structures  ;     namely,     a    main    building,     fronting    on 


170 


THE   COLLEGE  LN 


60+*^ 5  -J-  REET 


JANITORS 


APART 


MENTS 


PROFESSOR." 

or       I 

CHEMISTRY 


CHEMICAL 


LABORATORY 


APPARATUS 


JX 


COLLEGE  BUILDING 


FIRST     STORY 
PLAN 


lUi 


^f/?, 


■f^ 


] 

LECTURE 

! 

ROOM 

— 1 

1 

»-■ 

eJ 

H'^^ 


5TUD  Y 
RD  n  M 


I       BONE    ROOM      I  I  COAT 


COAT         RDDM 


RECEPTION 
ROOM 


TRUSTEES 

A  NH 

FACULTY 


.5^th ST  RECT  -• 


FIFTY-NINTH  STREET.  .    171 

Fifty-ninth  street,  containing  offices,  museums,  study 
and  recitation  rooms,  professors'  rooms,  and  the  de- 
partment of  practical  anatomy  ;  a  middle  building  oc- 
cupying the  central  part  of  the  grounds,  in  which  are 
the  main  stairway  hall,  the  lecture  room,  the  amphi- 
theatre, and  the  rear  stairway  ;  and  a  north  building 
or  laboratory  wing,  facing  Sixtieth  street,  containing 
the  janitor's  quarters,  the  chemical  laboratories,  and 
the  laboratories  of  the  Alumni  Association.  Outside, 
and  adjacent  to  the  middle  building  on  the  east,  are 
the  boiler  house,  and  a  one-story  laboratory  annex  ; 
and  near  by  a  carriage  house,  with  rooms  on  the 
second  floor  for  the  accommodation  of  employees. 
All  three  buildings  are  of  brick  and  terra  cotta,  fur- 
nished in  various  parts  with  granite  sill-courses,  lintels, 
quoins  an,d  copings. 

The  Fifty-ninth  street  building  is  one  hundred 
and  forty  feet  long,  and  forty-three  feet  deep  ;  of  four 
stories  above  the  basement,  and  sixty-six  feet  in 
height,  from  the  curb  to  the  roof  cornice.  On  the 
first  floor,  the  main  entrance  leads  into  a  central  hall, 
sixteen  feet  wide  and  fourteen  feet  high,  with  trans- 
verse corridors  extending  east  and  west.  Opening 
on  the  west  corridor  are  the  students'  reception  room, 
fifteen  feet  by  twenty-eight,  a  study  room,  twenty- 
eight  feet  by  thirty-six,  and  a  cabinet  of  osteology, 
from  which  students  are  supplied  with  parts  of  the 
skeleton,  or  with  separate  bones,  for  examination. 
On  the  east  corridor  are  the  offices  of  the  clerk  and 
secretary,  and  an  apartment  for  the  meetings  of  the 


172 


THE   COLLEGE   IN 


fifty-ninth:  street  173 

Trustees  and  Faculty.  The  door  of  the  coat  room 
opens  on  the  main  hall,  a  little  beyond  the  crossing"  of 
the  corridors  ;  and  immediately  adjacent  is  the  stairway 
leading-  to  the  students'  toilet  room  in  the  basement. 

On  the  second  floor  is  the  college  museum,  a  room 
thirty  feet  by  forty-three,  in  the  centre  of  the  build- 
ing. The  lateral  corridors  lead  to  the  private  rooms 
of  the  professors  of  anatomy,  surgery,  medicine,  ob- 
stetrics and  gynecology.  The  third  floor  is  occupied, 
in  the  centre  by  the  Swift  physiological  cabinet,  on 
the  west  side  by  the  working  rooms  of  the  depart- 
ment of  physiology,  and  on  the  east  by  rooms  for 
recitation,  demonstration  and  examination.  On  the 
fourth  floor  is  the  main  dissecting  room,  thirty-six 
feet  by  one  hundred  and  five,  lighted  by  three  sky- 
lights, of  which  the  central  one  is  thirty  feet  by  forty  in 
size,  and  the  two  lateral  ones  each  twenty-five  feet  by 
thirty.  At  each  end  of  this  floor  are  additional  rooms, 
with  separate  skylights,  for  the  demonstrators  of  anat- 
omy, the  prosector  of  surgery,  for  private  dissecting, 
and  for  instruction  in  operative  surgery.  At  the  head 
of  the  stairway  are  rooms  for  the  prosector  of  anatomy. 

The  middle  building  is  fifty-five  feet  in  width  by 
ninety-six  in  length.  The  first  floor  contains  the  main 
lecture  room,  forty-eight  feet  by  fifty-five,  entered  by 
two  doorways  from  the  front  hall.  It  is  eighteen  feet 
in  height,  with  a  descent  of  seven  feet  from  the  en- 
trance to  the  front  of  the  lecturer's  platform ;  and  is 
lighted  by  five  windows  on  each  side.  Its  seating 
capacity  is  a  little  over  four  hundred.     The  air-supply 


174 


THE   COLLEGE   IN 


FIFTY-NINTH  STREET  1 75 

is  introduced  by  narrow  horizontal  slits,  beneath  the 
seats,  in  the  risers  of  the  platforms  ;  and  the  escape 
of  air  is  provided  for  by  eight  ventilating  registers  in 
the  north  and  south  walls,  four  of  them  being  placed 
near  the  floor  and  four  near  the  ceiling.  In  the  rear 
of  the  lecture  room  is  an  apparatus  room  for  chemistry 
and  physics.  In  the  front  hall,  at  the  foot  of  the  main 
stairway,  on  the  west  side,  is  the  entrance  to  a  covered 
way  leading  to  the  Vanderbilt  Clinic. 

The  amphitheatre,  situated  above  the  lecture  room, 
is  of  the  same  length  and  width,  but  has  a  height  of 
twenty-eight  feet  from  floor  to  ceiling,  with  a  descent 
of  eighteen  feet  from  the  uppermost  platform  to  the 
lecturer's  area.  It  has  a  seating  capacity  of  four  hun- 
dred and  fifty.  Above  the  lecturer's  area  is  a  sky- 
light, sixteen  feet  by  twenty ;  and  there  are  six  win- 
dows in  the  east  wall,  behind  the  upper  seats.  The 
air-supply,  like  that  of  the  lecture  room,  is  by  slits  in 
the  risers  of  the  platforms  ;  and  the  air  escapes,  by 
openings  around  the  base  of  the  skylight,  into  the 
space  between  the  ceiling  and  the  roof,  whence  it  is 
conducted  to  the  outer  ventilating  shaft.  The  pro- 
fessors' entrance  to  the  amphitheatre  is  by  a  corridor 
on  the  second  floor,  leading  to  the  area ;  the  students' 
entrance  is  by  two  doors  leading,  from  the  front  and 
rear  stairways,  to  the  upper  platform.  Behind  the 
amphitheatre,  and  communicating  with  the  rear  stair- 
way, are  two  half-story  rooms,  for  the  cabinet  of  mate- 
ria medica  and  the  private  working  room  of  the  pro- 
fessor of  that  department. 


176 


THE   COLLEGE   IN 


COLLEGE  BUILDING 


FOURTH  5T0R.Y 


PLAN 


ROOF    QF 


LABORATORY    WINE 


ROOF 


MID 


OF 


n  LE 


niNB 


FIFTY-NINTH  STREET.  lyj 

The  north  or  Sixtieth  street  building  is  ninety-six 
feet  long  by  forty-three  feet  deep,  and  is  three  stories 
in  height.  On  its  first  floor  are  the  apartments  of  the 
janitor,  the  laboratory  of  the  chemical  professor,  and  a 
laboratory  of  instruction  in  practical  chemistry  for 
stu'dents.  The  middle  portion  of  the  second  floor  is 
occupied  by  the  general  pathological  laboratory. 
This  is  a  square  room,  thirty-six  feet  by  thirty-six, 
surrounded  by  shelving  for  jars  of  preserved  patho- 
logical specimens,  to  be  used  by  the  teachers  of  the 
laboratory  and  by  advanced  workers,  for  examination 
and  demonstration.  Adjoining  it  on  the  western  end 
are  the  director's  room,  a  photograph  chamber,  and  a 
chemical  and  operating  room.  On  the  eastern  end  is 
a  room,  twenty-seven  feet  by  thirty-six,  for  experi- 
ments and  researches  in  bacteriology.  In  the  north- 
west corner  of  this  room  is  an  apartment  ten  feet 
square,  shut  off  from  the  rest  by  glazed  partitions,  and 
serving  for  the  experimental  culture  of  various  bac- 
terial forms  under  uniform  temperatures.  The  third 
floor  is  divided  into  two  rooms,  each  thirty-six  feet  by 
forty-four,  for  class  instruction  in  histology  and  pa- 
thology. All  the  rooms  are  provided  with  appro- 
priate tables,  hoods,  sinks,  instruments  and  apparatus. 

Adjacent  to  the  main  stairway  hall  is  a  hydraulic 
elevator,  running  from  the  cellar  to  the  fourth  floor, 
for  the  transportation  of  subjects,  specimens,  illustra- 
tions and  apparatus.  In  the  rear  hall  is  a  dumb  waiter 
of  smaller  dimensions,  for  the  accommodation  of  the 
laboratory  wing. 


178  THE   COLLEGE  LN 

The  warming  and  ventilation  of  the  building  are 
provided  for  by  five  steam  boilers,  each  fifty-four 
inches  in  diameter  by  sixteen  feet  in  length.  From 
these  boilers  steam  is  supplied  to  the  heating  coils  in 
four  air  chambers,  situated  in  the  basement  of  the 
middle  building.  Four  fans  and  fan-engines  drive  the 
air  past  the  heating  coils,  through  as  many  systems  of 
distributing  air  ducts,  to  the  rooms  above.  The  first 
of  these  systems  supplies  air  to  the  first,  second,  and 
third  floors  of  the  front  building  ;  the  second,  to  the 
dissecting  room  floor  ;  the  third,  to  the  lecture  room 
and  amphitheatre  in  the  middle  building ;  and  the 
fourth,  to  the  laboratory  wing.  The  air  chamber  of 
the  third  system  is  provided  with  valves,  by  which 
it  may  be  made  to  communicate,  at  will,  with  either 
the  lecture  room  or  the  amphitheatre,  or  with  both. 
Under  a  moderate  speed  of  the  fan-engine,  either  of 
these  rooms  may  be  supplied  with  750,000  cubic  feet 
of  air  per  hour. 

The  ventilating  flues  for  the  escape  of  air  from  all 
rooms  of  the  front  building  terminate  in  two  main 
ducts,  which  open  in  the  interior  of  a  brick  shaft  sur- 
rounding the  iron  smoke-pipe  of  the  boiler  furnace. 
One-half  the  space  of  this  shaft  is  appropriated  to  the 
duct  from  the  dissecting  room  floor  ;  the  other  half,  to 
that  from  the  rest  of  the  front  building.  The  ducts 
from  the  lecture  room  and  amphitheatre  discharge  by 
a  common  ventilator  above  the  roof  of  the  middle 
building ;  and  those  from  the  the  laboratory  wing,  by 
brick  shafts  above  the  roof  of  the  rear  building. 


FIFTY-NINTH  STREET.  IJ^ 

The  front  and  middle  buildings  are  lighted  by  three 
hundred  and  fifty  electric  lamps,  of  sixteen  candle  pow- 
er each,  run  by  a  dynamo-electric  machine  and  machine 
engine  in  the  basement.  The  machine  also  supplies 
electricity  to  an  automatic  arc  light  in  the  lecture  room, 
for  magic  lantern  demonstrations.  Illuminating  gas 
and  gas  burners  are  distributed  in  all  three  buildings. 


The  cellar  excavations  for  the  Sloane  Maternity 
Hospital  and  the  Vanderbilt  Clinic  were  made  in  the 
spring  and  summer  of  1886;  and  the  walls  of  both 
buildings  were  well  in  progress  by  the  early  part  of 
December.  During  the  rest  of  the  winter  and  spring, 
work  was  continued  at  intervals  when  the  weather  was 
sufficiently  favorable  ;  and  in  the  following  August  the 
roofs  were  completed.  By  the  end  of  the  year  both 
buildings  were  ready  for  use ;  and  they  were  inaugu- 
rated, with  an  address  by  Professor  T,  Gaillard 
Thomas,  M.D.,  in  the  lecture  room  of  the  College, 
December  29th,  1887. 

The  Sloane  Maternity  Hospital  is  at  the  cor- 
ner of  Fifty-ninth  street  and  Tenth  Avenue,  with  its 
entrance  on  Fifty-ninth  street.  Its  dimensions  are 
sixty-five  feet  on  Fifty-ninth  street,  by  seventy-five 
feet  on  Tenth  Avenue.  It  is  of  three  stories  and  an 
attic.  Its  exterior  architectural  effect  resembles  that  of 
the  college  building,  its  brick  surfaces  being  relieved 
with  facings,  lines  and  mouldings  of  granite  and  terra 
cotta. 


i8o 


THE   COLLEGE  LN 


Internally,  its  construction  is  fireproof  throughout. 
The  floorine  of  the  halls  and  the  wainscoting-  of  the 
stairways  are  of  white  marble.  In  the  wards  the 
flooring  is  of  vitrified  tiles,  with  a  marble  base  for  the 
side  walls.  The  surfaces  of  the  walls  and  partitions 
are  in  hard  finish. 


The  Sloane  Maternity   Hospital. 
From  Tenth  Avenue,  near  Fifty-ninth  street. 


The  basement  contains  the  laundry,  the  kitchen, 
the  servants'  dining  room,  the  coil  chamber  and  fan 
for  warming  and  ventilation,  and  a  bath  room  for 
newly  admitted  patients,  with  lockers  for  the  deposit 
and  safe-keeping  of  their  personal  clothing  and  effects 
while  inmates  of  the  hospital. 

On  the  first  floor  are  the  janitor's  room,  an  exam- 


FIFTY-NINTH  STREET.  l8l 

ination  room  for  patients  applying  for  admission, 
rooms  for  the  Board  of  Managers,  the  House  Physi- 
cian, the  Assistant  House  Physician,  and  the  Matron  ; 
also  a  dining  room  and  a  general  reception  room. 

The  second  floor  has  three  wards,  one  of  six  beds 
and  two  of  four  beds  each  ;  a  delivery  room,  where 
the  patients  are  confined  and  from  which  they  are 
transferred  to  the  wards  after  delivery  ;  sleeping 
rooms  for  ward  nurses  ;  and  the  drug  room  of  the 
establishment. 

The  third  floor  has  three  wards,  similar  to  those  of 
the  second.  It  also  contains  the  apartment  of  the 
head  nurse ;  sleeping  rooms  for  ward  nurses ;  and  two 
isolating  wards,  of  one  bed  each,  for  such  patients  as 
may  need  to  be  separated  from  the  rest.  The  attic  is 
occupied  by  servants'  sleeping  rooms. 

The  Matron  of  the  hospital  performs  the  duties  of 
housekeeper ;  providing  for  the  supplies  and  other 
daily  requirements  of  the  institution,  the  hiring  and 
management  of  servants,  and  the  care  and  preserva- 
tion of  the  furniture.  The  ward  nurses,  four  in  num- 
ber, are  supplied  from  the  training  school  of  the  New 
York  Hospital,  being  selected  from  those  who  have 
already  received  general  instruction  for  one  year  or 
more.  Each  nurse  remains  in  the  Maternity  Hospital 
for  three  months,  learning  the  duties  and  performing 
the  service  of  obstetrical  nursing  under  the  instruction 
of  the  head  nurse,  who  is  permanently  attached  to  the 
institution  and  is  known  as  the  Principal  of  the  Train- 
ing   School.      The    House    Physician    and    Assistant 


152  THE   COLLEGE   LN 

House  Physician  reside  in  the  hospital,  serving  for  six 
months  in  each  capacity. 

As  one  of  the  main  objects  of  the  institution  is  to 
afford  instruction  in  the  practice  of  obstetrics,  a  cer- 
tain number  of  students  belonging  to  the  graduating 
class  of  the  College  are  designated  each  week,  to 
attend  the  daily  visits  of  the  House  Physician  in  the 
wards,  to  observe  the  appearance  and  treatment  of  the 
patients,  the  dressing  and  management  of  the  infants, 
and  all  matters  relating  to  the  puerperal  condition. 
Each  of  these  students  in  turn  also  holds  himself  in 
readiness  to  attend,  under  the  direction  of  the  House 
Physician,  the  next  case  of  delivery  which  may  occur 
in  the  hospital.  While  engaged  in  this  service  they 
are  forbidden  to  visit  any  dissecting  room  or  patholog- 
ical laboratory,  or  any  other  hospital  or  dispensary,  or 
to  be  present  at  any  kind  of  anatomical  examination 
elsewhere.  The  same  restrictions  apply  to  the  House 
Physician  and  the  Assistant  House  Physician  during 
their  term  of  service. 

Staff  of  the  Sloane  Maternity  Hospital 

IN    \\ 


n. 


T.  Gaillard  Thomas,  M.D.,  Consulting  Physician. 
James  W.  McLane,  M.D.,   Visiting  Physician. 
Edward  L.  Partridge,  M.D.,  Asst.  Visiting Physicia 
James  W.  Markoe,  M.D.,  House  Physician. 
Harry  McM.  Painter,  M.D.,  Asst.  House  Physician 


FIFTY-NINTH  STREET. 


183 


The  Vanderbilt  Clinic,  at  Tenth  Avenue  and 
Sixtieth  street,  is  similar  in  general  appearance  to  the 
two  other  buildings  on  the  college  grounds.  Its  front 
on  Tenth  Avenue  has  a  width  of  sixty  feet,  and  its 
depth  is  one  hundred  feet.  It  is  three  stories  in 
height,  with  windows  in  front  and  on  both  sides. 


The  Vanderbilt  Clinic. 
From  Tenth  Avenue  and  Sixtieth  street. 


In  the  basement  are  the  janitor's  kitchen  and  laun- 
dry, a  number  of  store  rooms,  and  the  steam  appara- 
tus of  the  building.  On  the  first  floor  the  main  hall, 
paved  with  white  tiles,  is  used  for  the  accommodation  of 
patients  awaiting  their  distribution  to  the  various  clini- 
cal departments.  On  one  side  of  this  hall  is  the  drug 
room,  from  which  prescriptions  are  dispensed  by  the 


184  THE   COLLEGE   LN 

apothecary ;  on  the  other  are  clinical  rooms  for  male 
and  female  surgical  patients,  for  children,  for  diseases 
of  the  nervous  system,  and  for  orthopaedics. 

The  second  floor  is  occupied  by  clinical  rooms  for 
diseases  of  the  eye,  the  ear,  the  throat,  and  for  dis- 
eases of  women.  There  is  also  a  room  with  twelve 
stalls,  for  instruction  in  ophthalmoscopy,  otoscopy  and 
laryngoscopy ;  and  waiting  rooms  for  patients  to  be 
taken  into  the  amphitheatre,  the  lecturer's  entrance  to 
which  is  on  this  floor. 

In  the  third  story  are  clinical  rooms  for  practical 
medicine,  for  affections  of  the  genito-urinary  system, 
and  for  diseases  of  the  skin  ;  and  a  separate  stairway 
for  the  students'  entrance  to  the  amphitheatre.  The 
amphitheatre,  situated  at  the  eastern  or  rear  end  of 
the  building,  is  forty-one  feet  by  fifty- seven,  horizontal 
measurement,  and  thirty  feet  high  from  floor  to  ceil- 
ing, with  a  descent  of  twenty  feet  from  the  uppermost 
platform  to  the  area  floor.  Its  seating  capacity  is 
three  hundred  and  ninety.  The  air  is  supplied 
through  slits  in  the  risers  of  the  platforms,  and  es- 
capes by  a  large  opening  in  the  framework  beneath 
the  skylight.  The  entire  building  is  warmed  by 
steam  coil-chambers  in  the  basement ;  and  the  ventila- 
tion is  effected  by  two  fans,  one  of  which  serves  for 
the  air  boxes  of  the  amphitheatre,  the  other  for  those 
supplying  the  rest  of  the  building. 

Both  the  Clinic  and  the  Maternity  Hospital  are 
supplied  with  steam  from  the  boiler  house  of  the  col- 
lege, through  pipes  beneath  the  covered  way. 


FIFTY-NINTH  STREET  185 

Staff  of  the  Vanderbilt  Clinic 

IN    \\ 


MEDICINE. 

Francis  Delafield,  M.D.,  Professor. 
Frank  W.  Jackson,  M.D.,  Chief  of  Clinic. 
Charles  D.  Scudder,  M.D.,  Clinical  A ssistaitt. 
George  R.  Lockwood,  M.D.,       "  " 

Walter  B.  James,  M.D., 

SURGERY, 

William  T.  Bull,  M.D.,  Professor  Adj'tmcL 
Richard  J.  Hall,  M.D., 
Robert  F.  Weir,  M.D.,  Clinical  Professor. 
George  S.  Huntington,  M.D.,  Chief  of  Clinic. 

A.  J.  Magnin,  M.D.,  Clinical  Assistant. 

B.  B.  Gallaudet,  M.D.,    " 
James  R.  Hayden,  M.D.,  " 

diseases  of  women. 

T.   Gaillard    Thomas,    M.D.,  Professor   of  Clinical 

Gynecology. 
George  M.  Tuttle,  M.  D.,  Professor  of  Gynecology. 
Charles  Ware,  M.D.,  Chief  of  Clinic. 
James  B.  Hunter,  M.D.,  Clinical  Assistant. 


i86 


THE    COLLEGE   LN 


DISEASES    OF    CHILDREN. 

Abraham  Jacobi,  M.D.,  Clinical  Professor. 
Francis  Huber,  M.D.,  Chief  of  Clinic. 
Abram  Brothers,  M.D.,  Clinical  Assistant. 
Albert  F.  Brugman,  M.D. 
Alexander  B.  Pope,  M.D., 
Willis  W.  French,  M.D., 
D.  Brown,  M.D., 

H.  N.  ViNEBERG,   M.D., 


GENITO-URINARY    DISEASES. 


Fessenden  N.  Otis,  M.D.,  Clinical  Professor 
L.  Bolton  Bangs,  M.D.,  Chief  of  Clinic. 
William  K.  Otis,  M.D.,  Clinical  Assistant. 
George  E.  Brewer,  M.D.,     "  " 


diseases  of  the  eye. 


Herman  Knapp,  M.D.,  Professor. 
David  Webster,  M.D.,  Chief  of  Clinic. 
Frank  W.  Ring,  M.D.,  Clinical  Assistant. 
Walter  B.  Johnson,  M.D., 
William  O.  Moore,  M.D., 
John  H.  Claiborne,  M.D., 
N.  J.  Hepburn,  M.D., 
Thomas  T.  Janeway,  M.D., 
Charles  H.  May,  M.D., 


FIFTY-NINTH  STREET, 


187 


DISEASES    OF    THE    EAR. 


Albert  H.  Buck,  M.D.,  Clinical  Professor. 
Huntington  Richards,  M.D.,  Chief  of  Clinic. 
GoRHAM  Bacon,  M.D.,  Clinical  Assistant. 


diseases    of    THE    THROAT. 

George  M.  Lefferts,  M.D.,  Clinical  Professor. 
D.  Bryson  Delay  an,  M.D.,  Chief  of  Clinic. 
Urban  G.  Hitchcock,  M.D.,  Clinical  Assistant. 
Charles  H.  Knight,  M.D., 
S.  O.  Vander  Poel,  M.D., 
William  J.  Swift,  M.D., 
William  K.  Simpson,  M.D., 
Francis  J.  Quinlan,  M.D., 
Frank  E.  Miller,  M.D. 


diseases  of  the  skin. 


George  H.  Fox,  M.D.,  Clinical  Professor. 
George  T.  Jackson,  M.D.,  Chief  of  Clinic. 
Charles  A.  Kinch,  M.D.,  Clinical  Assistant. 
Frank  B.  Carpenter,  M.D.,     "  " 


diseases  of  the  neryous  system. 

M.  Allen  Starr,  M.D.,  Clinical  Profesor. 
Henry  W.  Berg,  M.D.,  Clinical  Assistant. 
Barney  Sachs,  M.D.,  "  " 

James  A.  Booth,  M.D., 
G.  A.  Dixon,  M.D., 


1 88  '■  THE   COLLEGE   LN 

The  Roosevelt  Hospital  is  on  the  south  side  of 
Fifty-ninth  street,  nearly  opposite  the  college  build- 
ing ;  and  its  grounds  comprise  the  entire  block  from 
Ninth  to  Tenth  ,  Avenue,  and  from  Fifty-eighth  to 
Fifty-ninth  street. 

The  fund  for  this  hospital  was  established  in  1863 
by  a  bequest  in  the  will  of  James  H.  Roosevelt,  Esq., 
of  property  amounting  in  value  to  nearly  one  million 
dollars.  The  property  was  bequeathed  to  nine  trus- 
tees, namely  ;  the  Hon.  James  I.  Roosevelt,  Edwin 
Clark,  Esq.,  John  M.  Knox,  Esq.,  and  Adrian  H. 
Muller,  Esq.,  individually,  and  the  following  five  ex 
officio  ;  the  president  of  the  New  York  Hospital  ;  the 
president  of  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  ; 
the  president  of  the  New  York  Eye  Infirmary  ;  the 
president  of  the  Demilt  Dispensary  ;  and  the  presi- 
dent of  the  New  York  Institution  for  the  Blind.  It 
was  to  be  used,  under  the  direction  of  this  Board, 
*'  for  the  establishment,  in  the  city  of  New  York,  of 
a  hospital  for  the  reception  and  relief  of  sick  and  dis- 
eased persons,  and  for  its  permanent  endowment." 
In  1864  the  institution  was  incorporated  under  the 
name  of  the  Roosevelt  Hospital.  The  corner  stone 
was  laid  in  October,  1869;  and  the  building  was 
opened  for  the  reception  of  patients  November  2d, 
1871. 

The  hospital  consists  of  a  central  administrative 
building  fronting  on  Fifty-ninth  street,  with  an  ex- 
tension in  the  rear,  flanked  by  three  parallel  pavil- 
ions, two  on  the  eastern  and  one  on  the  western  side. 


FIFTY-NINTH  STREET. 


189 


The  central  building,  four  stories  in  height,  contains 
offices,  reception  and  examination  rooms,  the  apothe- 
cary's laboratory  and  dispensing  room,  the  superin- 
tendent's apartments,  rooms  for  the  meetings  of  the 
Trustees  and  the  Medical  Board,  an  operating  theatre, 
and  two  surgical  wards  for  women  and  children.  The 
rear  building  is  occupied  by  steam    boilers    and    the 


Roosevelt  Hospital. 
From  the  northeast. 


warming  and  ventilating  machinery,  the  laundry,  bak- 
ery, kitchen  and  servants'  sleeping  rooms. 

The  pavilion  next  the  administration  building  on 
the  east  is  of  four  stories,  containing  medical  wards 
for  male  and  female  patients,  nurses'  rooms,  and 
apartments  for  the  house  staff;  that  still  farther  to  the 
east,   near  Ninth  Avenue,  is  a  one-story  building  for 


I90  THE    COLLEGE  LN 

surgical  patients  ;   and  that  on  the  west,  also   of  one 
story,  is  for  the  treatment  of  out-door  cases. 

The  hospital  contains  altogether  nearly  one  hun- 
dred and  seventy  beds  ;  and  for  the  year  1887  there 
were  admitted  and  discharged  over  two  thousand  five 
hundred  patients. 

Staff  of  the  Roosevelt  Hospital 

IN    \\ 


John  T.  Metcalfe,  M.D.,  Consiilting  Physician. 
Thomas  Addis  Emmet,  M.D.,       "  " 

Thomas  M.  Markoe,  M.D.,  Consulting  Surgeon. 
Robert  F.  Weir,  M.D., 

William  H.  Draper,  M.D.,  Attending  Physician. 
Francis  Delafield,  M.D.,  "  " 

William  H.  Thomson,  M.D., 
J.  West  Roosevelt,  M.D,,  "  " 

Charles  McBurney,  M.D.,  Attending  Surgeon. 
Frank  Hartley,   M.D.,  Assistant  Surgeon 
Richard  J.  Hall,   M.D., 
George  S.Huntington,  M.D.,  "  " 

George  M.  Tuttle,  M.D.,  Gynecologist. 
Charles  N.  Dowd,  M.D.,  Hotise  Physician. 
Alexander  H.  Travis,  M.D.,  Senior  Assistant. 
Levi  O.  Wiggins,   M.D.,  junior  Assistant. 
William  H.  Park,  M.D.,  House  Stcrgeon. 
Frederick  J.  Brockway,  M.D.,  Senior  Assistant. 
Calvin  L.  Harrison,  M.D.,  Junior  Assistant. 
Robert  A.  Sands,  M.D.,  Surgical  Dresser. 


FIFTY-NINTH  STREET.  I9I 

When  the  College,  in  1884,  came  into  possession 
of  its  grounds  at  Fifty-ninth  street,  the  neighboring 
region  to  the  west  and  north  was  a  nearly  uninhab- 
ited waste.  On  the  opposite  side  of  Tenth  Avenue 
there  was  but  one  building,  a  country  house  which 
had  been  unused  for  several  years  ;  and  the  whole  of 
Sixtieth  street  on  the  north,  from  Ninth  to  Tenth 
Avenue,  was  vacant  with  the  exception  of  a  single 
dwelling  house,  formerly  surrounded  by  fields  and 
gardens,  and  still  retaining  much  of  its  rural  aspect. 
But  nearly  at  the  same  time  with  the  excavation  on 
the  grounds  of  the  College,  preparations  were  com- 
menced for  other  buildings  near  by;  and  when  the 
college  edifice  was  finished  and  inaugurated  in  1887, 
it  was  almost  completely  surrounded  on  the  adjoining 
streets  by  five-story  brick  and  stone  structures,  leav- 
ing only  the  two  country  houses  above  mentioned,  to 
represent  the  former  condition  of  the  locality. 

The  number  of  students  in  attendance  at  the  Col- 
lege had  greatly  increased  during  the  middle  and 
latter  part  of  its  stay  in  Twenty-third  street.  The 
average  size  of  the  class,  for  the  ten  years  previous 
to  1886,  was  within  a  fraction  of  five  hundred.  In  the 
session  of  1886-87,  ^^  ^^-^t  held  in  Twenty-third 
street,  the  class  numbered  a  little  over  six  hundred ; 
and  in  that  of  1887-88  it  was  eight  hundred  and  nine. 
Notwithstanding  the  large  proportion,  in  this  class, 
of  pupils  in  the  first  year  of  their  studies  the  laborato- 
ries of  the  College  were  well  attended.  In  the  physio- 
logical and  pathological  laboratory  there  were  during 


192  THE   COLLEGE   LN 

this  session  one  hundred  and  sixty-five  pupils,  taking 
fifty  lessons  of  two  hours  each.  Of  this  number,  one 
hundred  and  eight  followed  the  course  in  normal  his- 
tology, and  fifty-seven  that  in  pathological  histology. 
The  laboratory  of  instruction  in  practical  chemistry, 
though  organized  for  the  first  time,  was  attended  by 
sixty-four  students. 

The  year  1888  was  signalized  by  a  further  ad- 
vance in  the  methods  of  the  College,  including  impor- 
tant changes  in  the  requirements  and  courses  of  in- 
struction. 

The  first  of  these  changes  consisted  in  the  adoption 
of  a  system  of  entrance  examinations.  This  had  long 
been  considered  as  a  desirable  measure  in  the  interest 
of  pupils  commencing  their  medical  studies.  Those 
who  enter  upon  a  course  of  professional  training,  with- 
out preliminary  academic  or  college  education,  are  at  a 
great  disadvantage  in  regard  to  their  future  progress. 
In  many  such  cases,  even  with  pupils  of  fair  intelli- 
gence and  ability,  nearly  a  whole  year  must  be  spent  in 
"  learning  how  to  study."  This  is  especially  true  for 
neophytes  in  medicine.  They  have  not  yet  acquired 
the  habits  of  application  and  retention  necessary  for  so 
exacting  a  study  ;  and  in  their  capacity  for  mastering 
its  difficulties  they  are  far  behind  those  who  possess 
beforehand  the  requisite  mental  equipment.  No  doubt 
such  deficiencies  may  be  more  or  less  compensated,  in 
certain  instances,  by  unusual  exertion  or  superior  talent. 
But  these  cases  are  wholly  exceptional ;  and  for  the 
great  mass  of  medical  students  it  is  beyond  question 


FIFTY-NINTH  STREET.  1 93 

that  a  due  preliminary  training  is  in  the  long  run  a 
permanent  advantage,  and  even  essential  for  complete 
professional  success. 

To  secure  this  advantage  the  student  must  be  re- 
quired to  show  evidence  of  systematic  study  before  he 
is  allowed  to  enter  the  medical  school.  As  he  cannot 
be  expected  to  know  for  himself  the  necessity  of  such 
a  requirement,  it  would  seem  to  be  the  duty  of  his  in- 
structors to  impose  it  upon  him  for  his  own  benefit. 
For  these  reasons  the  College  adopted  a  schedule  of 
entrance  examinations,  making  it  a  prerequisite  for 
matriculation  that  the  student  should  show  a  fair  pro- 
ficiency in  the  English  and  Latin  languages,  arithmetic, 
algebra  and  geometry ;  such  as  is  usually  demanded 
for  graduation  in  academies  or  for  entrance  in  advanced 
literary  colleges.  These  examinations  were  required 
of  all  intending  to  graduate,  except  those  who  had 
already  gone  through  with  similar  or  equivalent  stud- 
ies in  literary  colleges  or  academies,  or  schools  of  sci- 
ence, or  who  had  already  graduated  in  medicine  else- 
where. This  system  was  promulgated  in  the  college 
catalogue  for  1887,  going  into  operation  for  the  first 
time  in  1888. 

An  equally  important  alteration  was  the  adoption 
of  a  three  years  college  course,  as  the  regular  method 
of  preparing  candidates  for  graduation.  The  position 
of  medical  colleges  in  this  respect  had  materially 
changed  since  the  earlier  half  of  the  century,  owing  to 
the  gradual  enlargement  of  their  duties  and  opportuni- 
ties. Formerly,  the  student  of  medicine  was  required 
13 


194  THE   COLLEGE  LN 

to  pursue  his  studies  for  the  legal  term  of  three  years 
under  the  direction  of  a  duly  authorized  practitioner, 
who  was  responsible  for  the  character  of  his  instruc- 
tion, and  for  the  time  spent  in  his  pupilage.  To  re- 
ceive the  degree  of  M.D,,  he  must  also  have  attended 
two  full  courses  of  lectures  in  a  regularly  chartered  or 
incorporated  medical  college,  the  last  of  them  in  the 
college  which  granted  him  the  degree.  When  the 
college  sessions  were  only  four  months  long,  and  con- 
sisted wholly  or  mainly  of  didactic  lectures,  the  inter- 
val between  two  courses  embraced  the  greater  part  of 
the  year  ;  and  these  intervals  were  occupied  with  per- 
sonal instruction  from  the  preceptor.  Thus  the  func- 
tion of  the  preceptor  was  a  most  important  one  in  the 
preparation  of  the  student,  while  the  two  courses  of 
lectures  were  short  but  interesting  episodes  in  his 
term  of  study.  But  as  the  college  session  was  length- 
ened from  time  to  time,  it  came  at  last  to  occupy  the 
greater  instead  of  the  smaller  part  of  the  year.  What 
was  of  still  more  consequence,  it  began  to  embrace 
systematic  courses  of  clinical  and  practical  teaching, 
such  as  the  private  preceptor  could  not  hope  to  give. 
With  the  establishment  of  college  laboratories  for  in- 
struction in  histology,  pathology  and  the  like,  this 
difference  became  more  marked  than  ever  ;  until  the 
former  relations  between  office  and  college  instruc- 
tion were  reversed,  the  duties  of  preceptor  becom- 
ing hardly  more  than  an  appendage  to  those  of  the 
college. 

As  this  change  was  plainly  a  progressive  one,  and 


FIFTY-NINTH  STREET.  1 95 

likely  to  be  more  beneficial  if  made  complete,  it  was 
proposed  that  the  College  should  assume,  so  far  as 
possible,  the  entire  responsibility  of  preparing  its  stu- 
dents for  graduation.  But  this  could  only  be  done  by 
the  adoption  of  a  curriculum  extending  over  the  whole 
time  of  study;  and  so  arranged  as  to  carry  the  student, 
in  regular  order,  from  one  year  to  another,  beginning 
with  the  general  and  elementary  branches  and  ending 
with  the  more  specific  and  practical. 

The  way  had  already  been  prepared,  in  some 
measure,  for  this  innovation.  For  many  years  past 
an  increasing  number  of  students  had  actually  attended 
three  college  sessions  ;  taking,  for  the  first  year  only 
the  lectures  in  the  elementary  departments,  following 
the  whole  in  the  second  year,  and  devoting  the  third 
to  practical  subjects  and  clinical  work.  This  plan,  so 
obvious  in  its  advantages,  was  pursued,  under  the  ad- 
vice of  the  professors,  by  most  of  the  students  resid- 
ing in  the  city,  and  by  those  from  elsewhere  who  were 
willing  to  attend  three  college  sessions  instead  of  two. 
It  was  believed  that  by  making  such  a  course  oblig- 
atory on  all,  the  college  would  serve,  at  the  same  time, 
its  own  reputation,  the  interest  of  its  graduates,  and 
the  cause  of  medical  education. 

It  was  evident,  moreover,  that  such  a  plan  should 
include,  as  essential  parts  of  the  curriculum,  the 
courses  of  laboratory,  clinical,  and  practical  instruc- 
tion, which  had  heretofore  been  left  to  the  individual 
option  of  the  student.  He  would  thus  be  directed  as 
to  the  time  and  amount  of  work  which  he  should  give 


196  THE   COLLEGE  LJV 

to  the  different  departments,  both  in  the  lecture  room 
and  elsewhere. 

Accordingly  a  schedule  for  the  three  years'  course 
was  prepared  by  the  Faculty  and  adopted  by  the 
Board  of  Trustees,  to  go  into  effect  from  the  year 
1888.  Under  this  plan  the  first  year  is  devoted  to 
didactic  lectures  on  anatomy,  physiology,  physics  and 
chemistry,  with  practical  laboratory  work  in  dissection, 
normal  histology,  and  physiological  and  medical  chem- 
istry. The  second  year  embraces  didactic  lectures  in 
all  the  regular  courses,  with  continued  practice  in 
dissection,  attendance  on  the  general  medical  and 
surgical  clinics  at  the  Vanderbilt  Clinic,  and  practical 
chnical  instruction  in  the  same  departments.  For  the 
third  year  the  student  follows  didactic  lectures  in 
materia  medica  and  therapeutics,  pathology  and  prac- 
tical medicine,  the  principles  and  practice  of  surgery, 
obstetrics  and  gynecology  ;  clinics  of  the  special  de- 
partments at  the  Vanderbilt  Clinic,  with  practical  clini- 
cal work  on  the  same  ;  and  practical  clinical  instruc- 
tion in  obstetrics  at  the  Sloane  Maternity  Hospital. 

To  increase  the  efficiency  of  this  scheme,  two  ad- 
ditional changes  were  introduced,  with  the  double 
purpose  of  enlarging  the  students'  means  of  instruc- 
tion, and  of  giving  to  the  graduating  examinations  a 
share  in  the  clinical  as  well  as  the  didactic  depart- 
ments. 

First,  the  college  session  was  lengthened  by  an- 
other month  ;  the  date  of  Commencement  being  ex- 
tended from  the  middle  of  May,  as  heretofore,  to  the 


FIFTY-NINTH  STREET 


197 


middle  of  June.     This  allowed  more  time  for  the  many 
requirements  embraced  in  the  studies  of  each  year. 

Secondly,  the  conditions  for  graduation  were  made 
to  include  examinations  on  the  various  clinical  studies 
for  which  provision  had  now  been  made.  At  the 
same  time  the  "  graduating  thesis "  was  abolished. 
This  exercise  had  been  formerly  useful,  as  affording 
the  only  written  evidence  of  the  candidate's  ability  to 
express  his  ideas  in  correct  and  intelligible  language. 
But  since  the  form  of  examination  had  been  changed 
from  oral  questions  and  answers  to  that  of  written 
papers,  and  especially  since  the  adoption  of  entrance 
examinations,  also  in  the  written  form,  the  graduating 
thesis  had  ceased  to  be  of  practical  benefit,  and  was 
only  an  unnecessary  burden  on  both  candidates  and 
examiners.  It  was  therefore  dropped  as  a  requisite 
for  graduation,  and  its  place  in  the  schedule  of  ex- 
aminations was  taken  by  the  special  clinical  subjects 
followed  by  the  student  in  his  third  year. 


INDEX. 

Academy  of  Medicine,  84. 

Address,  Introductory,  to  the  college  course,  20,  134;  abolished, 

135- 
Agnew,  Cornelius  R.,  M.D.,  clinical  professor,  152. 
Almshouse,  in  Chambers  street,  clinical  instruction  in,  21. 
Almshouse,  at  Bellevue,  79  ;  converted  into  a  hospital,  80. 
Alumni   Association,   establishment  of,  108  ;  prize  of,   no,  in  ; 

incorporation  of,  114  ;  laboratory  of,  113,  126. 
Anatomy,  lecturers  on,   12,  69  ;  professors  of,    19,  30,  55,  Gt,,  72, 

loi,  141,  152. 
Anatomy  and  physiology,  professors  of,  55,  72,  147. 
Anatomy  and  surgery,  professors  of,  19,  147. 
Anatomy,  physiology  and  surgery,  professors  of,  30. 
Anatomy,  microscopic,  appended  to  the  chair  of  physiology,  93. 
Anatomy,  practical,  legalization  of,  81. 
Anatomy,  surgical  and  pathological,  professor  of,  62. 

Bangs,  L.  Bolton,  M.D.,  chief  of  clinic,  186. 

Bard,  Samuel,  M.D.,  president  of  the  College,  29,  39. 

Bartlett,  Elisha,  M.D.,  professor  of  materia  medica  and  med- 
ical jurisprudence,  88  ;  his  works,  89  ;  his  illness  and  resig- 
nation,  90. 

Beck,  John  B.,  M.D.,  professor  of  botany  and  materia  medica, 
55  ;  of  materia  medica  and  medical  jurisprudence,  62  ;  his 
works,  86,  87  ;  his  character,  88. 

Bellevue  hospital,  established,  79  ;  opened  for  clinical  teach- 
ing, 80. 

Bequests,  to  the  College,  in,  153. 

Botanic  garden,  Elgin,  36,  37,  38. 

Bruce,  Archibald,  M.D.,  registrar,  and  professor  of  mineral- 
ogy, 12  ;  of  mineralogy  and  materia  medica,  19  ;  his  bio- 
graphy, 25. 

Buck,  Albert  H.,  M.D.,  clinical  professor,  187. 

Bull,  William  T.,  M.D.,  professor  adjunct  of  the  practice  of 
surgery,  144,  145,  185. 


INDEX.  199 

Cabinet  of  materia  medica,  presented  to  the  college  by  Pro- 
fessor Beck,  76. 

Cabinet,  the  Swift  physiological,  provision  for,  156  ;  established 
in  the  college,  173. 

Cartvvright,  Benjamin,  his  bequest  to  the  college,  iii. 

Cartwright  lectures,  112. 

Cartvvright  prize,  in. 

Chandler,  Charles  F.,  M.D.,  professor  of  chemistry,  145,  152. 

Charter,  of  the  college,  granted,  9  ;  amended,  11  ;  supple- 
mented, 29  ;  consolidated,  29  ;  amended,  104,  161. 

Chemistry,  practical  instruction  in,  192. 

Chemistry,  professors  of,  12,  19,  22,  30,  55,  61,  93,  loi,  145,  152. 

Clark,  Alonzo,  M.D.,  lecturer  in  the  Spring  course,  74;  physi- 
cian to  Bellevue  hospital,  81  ;  advocates  the  anatomical 
bill,  82  ;  professor  of  physiology  and  pathology,  91,  92  ; 
of  pathology  and  practical  medicine,  93  ;  elected  president 
of  the  college,  150;  his  resignation,  151. 

Clinic,  the  Vanderbilt,  establishment  of,  163  ;  location  and 
construction  of,  165,  183  ;  staff  of,  185  ;  instruction  in,  196. 

Clinics,  in  the  college,  establishment  of,  77  ;  growth  of,  78,  125, 
162,  163. 

Clinical  gynecology,  professor  of,  139. 

Clinical  instruction,  at  the  New  York  Hospital,  20,  62,  120,  123  ; 
at  the  almshouse,  21  ;  at  Bellevue  Hospital,  80  ;  in  the 
College,  77,  78,  125  ;  in  the  Sloane  Maternity  Hospital, 
182  ;  in  the  Vanderbilt  clinic,  196. 

Clinical  medicine,  professors  of,  30,  147,  152. 

Clinical  surgery,  professors  of,  144,  152. 

Cock,  Thomas,  M.D.,  president  of  the  college,  97. 

College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  its  origin,  8  ;  its  title,  10  ; 
its  charter,  9,  11,  29,  104,  161  ;  first  course  of  lectures  in, 
14,  15  ;  removal  to  Magazine  street,  21  ;  to  Barclay  street, 
32  ;  to  Crosby  street,  62, ;  to  Twenty-third  street,  98  ;  to  Fifty- 
ninth  street,  165  ;  union  of,  with  Columbia  College,  102,  106. 

College  building,  in  Robinson  street,  15  ;  in  Magazine  street, 
21  ;  in  Barclay  street,  32,  2)Z^  35  !  i"^  Crosby  street,  65,  66  ; 
in  Twenty-third  street,  99,  100  ;  in  Fifty-ninth  street,  168. 

College,  Columbia,  formerly  near  Park  Place,  15  ;  medical 
lectures  in,  29  ;  professors  of,  join  the  College  of  Physi- 
cians and  Surgeons,  29,  30  ;  College  of  Physicians  and 
Surgeons  becomes  the  medical  department  of,  102,  106. 


200  -  INDEX. 

College,  Rutgers  Medical,  53,  58,  59. 

Conkling,  Frederick  A.,  advocates  the  anatomical  bill,  82. 
Curriculum,  of  the  college,  extended  over  three  years,  193. 
Curtis,   Edward,  M.D.,   professor  of  materia  medica,  140  ;  his 

resignation,  141. 
Curtis,  John  G.,  M.D.,  professor  of  physiology,  146. 

Dana,  James  F.,  M.D.,  professor  of  chemistry,  55,  56,  61. 

Dalton,  John  C,  M.D.,  professor  of  physiology,  93,  146  ;  presi- 
dent of  the  college,  151. 

Delafield,  Edward,  M.D.,  professor  of  obstetrics,  55  ;  surgeon 
to  the  New  York  Eye  Infirmary,  57  ;  lectures  on  diseases 
of  the  eye,  59  ;  resigns  his  professorship,  69  ;  president  of 
the  college,  97;  establishes  the  Delafield  prize,  no;  his 
administration  as  president,  149,  150. 

Delafield,  Francis,  M.D.,  originator  and  director  of  the  labora- 
tory of  the  Alumni  Association,  113,  114;  professor  of  pa- 
tholog}'  and  practical  medicine,  146,  152,  185  ;  physician  to 
Roosevelt  Hospital,  190. 

Delafield  prize,  no. 

Delavan,  D.  Bryson,  M.D.,  chief  of  clinic,  187. 

Depew,  Chauncey  M.,  orator  at  laying  of  corner  stone  of  col- 
lege building,  169. 

Dering,  Nicoll  H.,   M.D  ,  trustee  and  registrar,  61. 

Detmold,  William,  M.D.,  lecturer  in  the  Spring  course,  74  ;  es- 
tablishes a  surgical  clinic  in  the  college,  125. 

DeWitt,  Benjamin,  M.D.,  professor  of  the  institutes  of  medi- 
cine, 12  ;  of  chemistry,  19,  25, 

Draper,  William  H.,  M.D.,  professor  of  clinical  medicine,  147, 
152  ;  physician  to  Roosevelt  Hospital,  190. 

Emmet,  Thomas  Addis,  M.D.,  consulting  physician  to  Roosevelt 
Hospital,  190. 

Examination,  for  the  degree  of  M.D.,  as  first  conducted  in  the 
college,  27,  127  ;  simplified,  128^  129  ;  made  more  stringent, 
129,  130  ;  required  to  be  in  writing,  130,  131  ;  deferred  till 
after  the  close  of  lectures,  131  ;  to  include  clinical  sub- 
jects, 197. 

Examination,  for  entrance  into  the  college,  192. 

Examination  honors,  122. 

Examination,  prizes  for  general  proficiency  in,  122,  123. 


INDEX.  20 1 

Faculty  of  the  college,  in  1807,  12  ;  in  1808,  19  ;  in  1814,  30  ;  in 
1825,  52;  in  1826,  55  ;  in  1843,  72  ;  in  1858,  loi  ;  in  1887, 
152. 

Fox,  George  H.,  M.D.,  clinical  professor,  152,  187. 

Francis,  John  W.,  M.D.,  registrar  and  professor  of  materia  med- 
ica,  31,  41. 

Fund,  alumni  association  prize,  no,  in  ;  alumni  association 
laboratory,  112,  113,  114;  Cartwright  prize  and  lecture, 
III  ;  Foster  Swift  memorial,  156  ;  Harsen  prize,  116,  123  ; 
Joseph  M.    Smith  prize,  120  ;  Stevens  triennial  prize,  116. 

Gifts  and  bequests  to  the  college,  76,  no,  in,   116,   120,  153, 

155,  156. 

Gilman,  Chandler  R.,  M.D,,  professor  of  obstetrics,  69,  72  ;  lec- 
tures in  the  Spring  and  Fall  courses,  74,  75  ;  establishes 
clinic  for  diseases  of  women  and  children,  78  ;  his  exertions 
for  improvement  of  the  college,  79  ;  physician  to  Bellevue 
Hospital,  81  ;  his  character  and  appearance,  136,  137  ;  his 
published  works,  138. 

Graduation,  first  ceremonies  of,  in  the  college,  27,  28. 

Graduation,  examinations  for,  27,  127,  128,  129,  130,  131,  197. 

Gynecology,  separated  from  the  chair  of  obstetrics,  139. 

Gynecology,  professors  of,  139,  185. 

Hall,  Richard  J.,  M.D.,  professor  adjunct  of  the  principles  of 
surgery,  144,  145,  152,  185  ;  assistant  surgeon  to  Roosevelt 
Hospital,  190. 

Hamersley,  William,  M.D.,  professor  of  clinical  medicine,  30  ; 
trustee,  61. 

Harsen,  Jacob,  M.D.,  establishes  the  Harsen  prize,  116;  his 
biography,  117. 

Harsen  prizes,  for  clinical  reports,  116,  119,  123  ;  for  proficiency 
in  examination,  124. 

Hosack,  David,  M.D.,  professor  of  materia  medica  and  botany, 
12  ;  of  the  theory  and  practice  of  physic,  30  ;  establishes 
the  Elgin  botanic  garden,  36,  37  ;  his  traits  and  peculiari- 
ties, 39,  40. 

Hospital,  the  New  York,  in  1807,  16  ;  in  i860,  119  ;  removed  to 
Fifteenth  street,  123  ;  clinical  instruction  in,  20,  62,  116, 
123. 

Hospital,  Bellevue,  established,  79  ;  opened  for  clinical  instruc- 
tion, 80. 


202  INDEX. 

Hospital,  "Roosevelt,  foundation  of,  i88  ;  trustees  of,  i88  ;  in- 
auguration of,  i88  ;  construction  of,  189  ;  staff  of,  190. 

Hospital,  the  Sloane  Maternity,  foundation  of,  162  ;  location  and 
construction  of,  165,  179  ;  inauguration  of,  179  ;  organiza- 
tion of,  162,  181  ;  practical  instruction  in,  182  ;  staff  of,  182, 

Huber,  Francis,  M.D.,  chief  of  clinic,  186. 

Huntington,  George  S.,  M.D.,  chief  of  clinic,  185. 

Inauguration,  of  the  college,  in  Robinson  street,  14  ;  in  Maga- 
zine street,  21  ;  in  Barclay  street,  34  ;  in  Crosby  street,  64  ; 
in  Twenty-third  street,  99  ;  in  Fifty-ninth  street,  169. 

Inauguration,  of  the  Roosevelt  hospital,  188  ;  of  the  Sloane 
maternity  hospital  and  the  Vanderbilt  clinic,  179. 

Institutes  of  Medicine,  chair  of,  in  the  college,  19  ;  professors 
of,  12,  19. 

Instruction,  in  the  college,  changes  in  methods  of,  127,  133,  193. 

Instruction,  clinical,  at  the  New  York  Hospital,  20,  62,  120,  123  ; 
at  the  almshouse,  21  ;  at  Bellevue  Hospital,  80  ;  in  the  Col- 
lege, 77,  125  ;  at  the  Vanderbilt  clinic,  196. 

Instruction,  demonstrative,  76,  126. 

Instruction,  experimental,  in  chemistry,  physiology,  and  path- 
ology, 112,  192,  196. 

Instruction,  practical,  at  the  Sloane  maternity  hospital,  182. 

Introductory  address,  at  opening  of  the  college  session,  20, 
134  ;  abolished,  135. 

Introductor}'  lectures,  20  ;  discontinued,  134. 

Jackson,  Frank  W.,  M.D.,  chief  of  clinic,  185. 
Jackson,  George  T.,  M.D.,  chief  of  clinic,  187. 
Jacobi,  Abraham,  M.D.,  clinical  professor,  152,  186. 
Jaques,  John  D.,  M.D.,  trustee  and  treasurer,  61. 

Knapp,  Herman,  M.D.,  professor  of  ophthalmology,  186. 

Laboratory,  physiological  and  pathological,  of  the  alumni  asso- 
ciation, 113,  126,  171,  177. 

Lecturers,  to  serve  before  becoming  professors,  73. 

Lecturers,  on  anatomy,  12,  69  ;  on  chemistry,  12,  25,  93  ;  on  ob- 
stetrics, 69  ;  on  pathology,  91  ;  on  physiology,  91  ;  on  sur- 
gery and  midwifery,  12  ;  on  materia  medica,  140,  141. 

Lecturers  adjunct,  how  appointed,  148. 

Lectures,  Cartwright,  112. 


INDEX.  203 

Lectures,  clinical,  at  the  New  York  Hospital,  20. 

Lectures,  in  the  college,  first  course  of,  14  ;  second  course  of,  20, 

Lectures,  introductory,  20  ;  discontinued,  134. 

Lectures,  Spring  and  Fall  courses  of,  73,  74,  75. 

Lefferts,  George  M.,  M.D.,  clinical  professor,  152,  187. 

Legalization,  of  practical  anatomy,  81. 

McBurney,  Charles,  M.D.,  surgeon  to  Roosevelt  Hospital,  190. 
McClelland,  John,  M.D.,  a  benefactor  of  the  college,  153. 
McLane,  James  W.,  M.D.,  professor  of  materia  medica,  140  ;  of 

obstetrics,    139  ;  advises  location   of  college  grounds,  157  ; 

conducts  negotiations  for  purchase,  160;  visiting  physician, 

Sloane  Maternity  hospital,  182. 
Magazine  street,  second  location  of  the  college,  21  ;  becomes  a 

part  of  Pearl  street,  21. 
Markoe,  Thomas  M.,  M.D.,  professor  of  surgery,    144  ;  of  the 

principles    of   surgery,    144,    152  ;   consulting   surgeon    to 

Roosevelt  Hospital,  190. 
Materia  medica,   professors  of,   12,  19,  24,  31,  41,  55,  72,  86,  88, 

9?>,  101,  139.  140,  141- 
Maternity  hospital,  the  Sloane,  162,  165  ;  construction  of,  179  ; 

inauguration   of,    179  ;  organization  of,  162,    181;  practical 

instruction  in,  182,  196  ;  staff  of,  182. 
Metcalfe,   John    T.,    M.D.,  consulting  physician    to    Roosevelt 

Hospital,  190. 
Miller,  Edward,  M.D.,  professor  of  the  practice  of  physic  and 

clinical  medicine,  12,  19  ;  joins  in  guaranty  of  funds  to  the 

college,  15;  his  professional  eminence  and  character,  24. 
Mitchill,   Samuel  L.,  M.D.,  vice  president,  12,  19  ;  professor  of 

chemistry,   12;   of  natural  history  and   botany,  19,  26;  his 

accomplishments  and  reputation,  24. 
Mott,  Valentine,  M.D.,  professor  of  surgery,  31,  40  ;  of  operative 

surgery,  and  surgical  and  pathological  anatomy,  62  ;  pro- 
fessor emeritus,  ()2,. 

New  York,  in  1807,  description  of,  16. 

New  York   Hospital,  in  1807,  16  ;  in  i860,  119  ;  clinical  instruc- 
tion in,  20,  62,  120,  123;  removed  to  Fifteenth  street,  123. 

Obstetrics,  practical  instruction  in,  181,  182,  196  ;  professors  of, 

19,  31,  55>  72,  loi,  136,  138,  139. 
Ophthalmology,  professor  of,  186. 
Otis,  Fessenden  N,,  M.D.,  clinical  professor,  152,  186. 


204  INDEX. 

Park  Place,  formerly  Robinson  street,  15. 

Parker,  Willard,  M.D.,  professor  of  surgery,  68,  72  ;  lectures 
in  Spring  and  Fall  courses,  74,  75  ;  establishes  the  college 
clinic,  77  ;  his  exertions  for  improvement  of  the  college, 
79  ;  surgeon  to  Bellevue  hospital,  81  ;  advocates  the  ana- 
tomical bill,  83  ;  his  resignation  as  professor,  141,  142  ;  his 
character  and  influence,  142,  143. 

Pathology,  importance  of,  first  recognized,  90,  91. 

Pathology  and  practical  medicine,  chair  of,  93  ;  professors  of, 
93,  loi,  146,  152. 

Peabody,  George  L.,  M.D.,  professor  of  materia  medica  and 
therapeutics,  141,  152. 

Pearl,  formerly  Magazine  street,  21. 

Physiology,  embraced  in  the  Institutes  of  Medicine,  19  ;  joined 
with  anatomy  and  surgery,  30  ;  with  anatomy,  55  ;  with 
pathology,  90,  91  ;  with  microscopic  anatomy,  93. 

Physiology,  professors  of,  30,  55,  63,  72,  91,  92,  93,  loi,  146, 
152. 

Post,  Wright,  M.D.,  professor  of  anatomy,  30,  t^S;  president  of 
the  college,  39  ;  his  character  and  reputation,  42,  43. 

Presidents,  of  the  college,  12,  21,  29,  39,  42,  55,  b^,  69,  71,  93, 
97,  149,  150,  151. 

Prize,  alumni  association,  iii  ; 
Cartwright,  iii  ; 
Delafield,  no  ; 
Harsen,  116  ; 

Joseph  Mather  Smith,  120  ; 
Stevens  triennial,  116. 

Prizes,  Harsen,  for  clinical  reports,  116,  119,  123,  124;  for  pro- 
ficiency in  examination,  124. 

Prizes,  special,  for  undergraduates,  115  ;  their  ill  effects,  120, 
121  ;  abolished,  122. 

Professors,  in  1807,  12  ;  in  1808,  19  ;  in  1814,  30  ;  complaints 
against,  43,  44,  45  ;  their  replies,  46  ;  ineligible  as  trustees, 
48  ;  disputes  of,  with  the  trustees,  49  ;  resignation  of,  53  ; 
n"ew  appointment  of,  55  ;  mode  of  selecting  and  appoint- 
ing, 73,  148,  149- 

Professors,  of  anatomy,  d-X)^  loi,  141,  152  ; 

of  anatomy  and  physiology,  55,  72,  147  ; 

of  anatomy  and  surgery,  19,  147  ; 

of  anatomy,  physiology  and  surgery,  30  ; 


INDEX.  205 

Professors,  of  chemistry,  12,  19,  22,  30,  55,  61,  93,  loi,  145,  152  ; 
of  chemistry  and  botany,  62,  72  ; 
of  clinical  gynecology,  139  ; 
of  clinical  medicine,  30,  147,  152  ; 
of  clinical  surgery,  144,  152  ; 
of  gynecology,  139,  152  ; 
of  institutes  of  medicine,  12,  19,  21,  25  ; 
of  legal  medicine,  31  ; 
of  materia  medica,  31,  139,  140,  141  ; 
of  materia  medica  and  botany,  12,  55  ; 
of  materia  medica  and  clinical  medicine,  93,  loi  ; 
of   materia  medica  and   medical  jurisprudence,  62, 
72 ; 

of  materia  medica  and  therapeutics,  152  ; 

of  mineralogy,  12  ;  of  mineralogy  and  materia  med- 
ica, 19,  24  ; 

of  natural  philosophy,  30  ;  of  natural  history  and 
botany,  19,  22,  30  ; 

of  obstetrics,  139  ;  of  obstetrics  and  the  diseases  of 
children,  152  ; 

of  obstetrics  and  the  diseases  of  women  and  chil- 
dren, 19,  26,  31,  55,  72,  loi  ; 

of  operative  surgery  and  surgical  and  pathological 
anatomy,  62  ; 

of  ophthalmology,  186  ; 

of  pathology  and  practical  medicine,  ()2)i  ^°^>  i4^> 
152; 

of  physiology,  63,  146,  152  ; 

of  physiology  and  pathology,  91,  92  ; 

of  physiology   and    microscopic  anatomy,    93,    loi, 

147 ; 

of  practice  of  physic  and  clinical  medicine,  12,  19, 

24  ; 
of  practice  of  surgery,  144,  152  ; 
of  principles  of  surgery,  144,  152  ; 
of  principles  and   practice    of    surgery,  31,  55,   72, 

loi,  141,  144  ; 
of  surgery,  19,  30  ;  .  - 

of  theory  and   practice    of    medicine    and    clinical 

medicine,  72,  147. 
Professors,  clinical,  146,  152. 


2o6  INDEX. 

Professors  adjunct,  148  ; 

of  anatomy,  141  ;  of  chemistr}^,  145  ; 

of  obstetrics,  138,  139  ;  of  pathology  and  practical 

medicine,  146  ; 
of    physiology,  146  ;  of   principles  and   practice   of 
surgery,  144,  145. 
Removal  of  the  college,  to  Magazine  street,  21  ;  to  Barclay  street, 
32,  2,2y^  34  ;  to  Crosby  street,  6-^  ;  to  Twenty-third  street,  98  ; 
to  Fifty-ninth  street,  165. 
Repository,  the  New  York  Medical,  earliest  medical  periodical 
in  the  United  States,  23  ;  succeeded  by  the  New  York  Med- 
ical and  Physical  Journal,  87. 
Rhinelander,  John  R.,  M.D.,  professor  of  anatomy,  (iTy  ;  his  re- 
signation, 68. 
Richards,  Huntington,  M.D.,  chief  of  clinic,  187. 
Robinson  street,  first  location  of  the  college,  15  ;  afterward  Park 

Place,  15. 
Romayne,  Nicholas,  M.D.,  first  president  of  the  college,  and 
lecturer  on  anatomy,  12  ;  guarantees  funds  for  the  college, 
15  ;  professor  of  the  institutes  of  medicine,  19;  his  services 
and  characteristics,  21,  22. 
Roosevelt  hospital,  establishment  of,  188  ;  inauguration  of,  188  ; 
construction  of,  189  ;  staff  of,  190. 

Sabine,  Thomas  T.,  M.D.,  professor  of  anatomy,  141,  152. 

Sands,  Henry  B.,  M.D.,  professor  of  anatomy,  141  ;  of  the  prac- 
tice of  surgery,  144,  152. 

Senatus  academicus,  of  the  college,  13,  20. 

Session,  the  college,  length  of,  in  1808,  19  ;  in  1847,  75,  133  ;  in 
1868,  133  ;  in  1880,  133,  134  ;  in  1888,  196. 

Sloane,  William  D.,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  establish  the  Sloane  mater- 
nity hospital,  162. 

Sloane  maternity  hospital,  establishment  of,  162  ;  location  of, 
165  ;  construction  of,  179  ;  inauguration  of,  179  ;  organiza- 
tion of,  162,  181  ;  practical  instruction  in,  182,  196  ;  staff 
of,  182. 

Smith,  Alban  G.,  M.D.,  professor  of  surgery,  68. 

Smith,  John  Augustine,  M.D.,  lecturer  adjunct  on  anatomy, 
12,  13  ;  professor  of  anatomy  and  surgery,  19  ;  joint  pro- 
fessor of  anatomy,  physiology  and  surgery,  30  ;  his  resigna- 
tion  and   removal  to   Virginia,   56  ;  his   reappointment  as 


INDEX.  207 

professor  of  anatomy  and  physiology,  55,  56  ;  president  of 
the  college,  63  ;  his  character  and  attainments,  69,  70. 

Smith,  Joseph  M.,  M.D.,  professor  of  theory  and  practice  of 
physic,  55,  57  ;  of  materia  medica  and  clinical  medicine, 
93  ;  his  long  service  in  the  college,  139,  140. 

St.  John,  Samuel,  M.D.,  professor  of  chemistry,  93,  loi  ;  his 
character,  145. 

Starr,  M.  Allen,  M.D.,  clinical  professor,  187. 

Stevens,  Alexander  H.,  M.D.,  professor  of  surgery,  55  ;  sur- 
geon to  the  New  York  Hospital,  56  ;  his  resignation  as 
professor,  68  ;  president  of  the  college,  71,  72  ;  his  resigna- 
tion, 93  ;  his  published  works,  95  ;  his  personal  and  pro- 
fessional qualities,  94,  96,  97. 

Students,  in  the  college,  number  of,  first,  second  and  third  ses- 
sions, 18;  eighth,  ninth  and  tenth  sessions,  34;  in  1820 
and  1822,  43  ;  after  1826,  59  ;  from  1876  to  1886,  191  ;  in 
1886-87  find  1887-88,  191. 

Surgery,  professors  of,  19,  30,  31,  55,  62,  72,  loi,  141,  144,  152. 

Swift,  James  T.,  establishes  the  Swift  Physiological  Cabinet, 
155,  156.- 

Thesis,  graduating,  27  ;  examination  on,  27,  128,  129  ;  prizes 
for,  115,  121,  122  ;  abolished,  197, 

Thomas,  T.  Gaillard,  M.D.,  professor  of  obstetrics,  138  ;  of 
gynecology,  139  ;  of  clinical  gynecology,  139,  147,  152, 
185  ;  orator  at  inauguration  of  the  Sloane  Maternity  hos- 
pital and  the  Vanderbilt  Clinic,  179  ;  consulting  physician, 
Sloane  Maternity  hospital,  182. 

Torrey,  John,  M.D.,  professor  of  chemistry  and  botany,  6t,  62, 
72  ;  lectures  in  the  Fall  course,  75  ;  his  resignation,  93. 

Trustees,  of  the  college,  under  its  first  charter,  10,  11  ;  under 
charter  of  1812,  29,  31  ;  professors  ineligible  as,  48  ;  dis- 
agreements of,  with  the  professors,  49  ;  majority  of,  to  be 
non-medical,  51  ;  members  of  the  board  of,  after  1826,  61. 

Trustee  examination,  127,  128  ;  abolished,  128. 

Tuttle,  George  M.,  M.D.,  professor  of  gynecology,  139,  152,  185  ; 
gynecologist  to  Roosevelt  hospital,  190. 

University,  of  the  State  of  New  York,  grants  the  college  char- 
ters, 9,  29  ;  authority  of,  over  the  college,  10,  27,  45,  46,  102, 
103  ;  transferred  to  the  Board  of  Trustees,  104. 


208  INDEX. 

Vanderbilt,  William  H.,  gives  land  and  building  fund,  to  the 

college,  156  ;  his  lettei*  of  announcement,  157  ;  his  personal 

history  and  qualities,  158,  159,  161. 
Vanderbilt,  George  W.,  lays  the    corner-stone  of  the  college 

building,  169, 
Vanderbilt,  Cornelius,  William  K.,  Frederick  W.,  and  Geo.  W,, 

establish  the  Vanderbilt  clinic,  163. 
Vanderbilt  clinic,  establishment  of,  163  ;  inauguration  of,  179  ; 

construction  of,  183  ;  staff  of,  185  ;  instruction  in,  196. 
Ware,  Charles,  M.D.,  chief  of  clinic,  185. 
Watts,  John,  M.D.,  president  of  the  college,  55,  56,  d^)- 
Watts,  Robert,  M.D.,  professor  of  anatomy,  68,   72,   loi,   141  ; 

lectures  in  the  Spring  and  Fall  courses,  74,  75  ;  his  exertions 

on  behalf  of  the  college,  79. 
Webster,  David,  M.D.,  chief  of  clinic,  186.  ' 

Weir,  Robert  F.,  M.D.,  professor  of  clinical  surgery,  152,  185  ; 

consulting  surgeon  to  Koosevelt  Hospital,  190. 


